


Some Sign of Life

by alloftheseships



Series: Some Things Will Destroy Us [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted World Building, Canon Rewrite, Fix It fic but Not, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, OT4, POV Ben (Disney: Descendants), Past Child Abuse, Swearing, Touches on Jay's Past, Universe Alterations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-05-15 23:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alloftheseships/pseuds/alloftheseships
Summary: When Evie had come to Ben pleading for him to understand her reasons for leaving, he hadn’t grasped why she had refused his assistance. There had nearly been tears in her eyes as she told him Mal had gone back to the Isle of the Lost; Ben wished with all of his heart that he could help Evie retrieve their friend, a fact he confessed to her. She had gone rigid, her demeanor changing as she firmly explained to him that the Isle was not a place for people like him. Ben had laughed and told her he could take it. With her brows hinting she felt otherwise, Evie had allowed him to follow her.Now, he was beginning to understand.-----Or, a different approach to Ben’s experience rescuing Mal from the Isle of the Lost





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is just my take on a potentially realistic look at Ben's experience rescuing Mal from the Isle
> 
> If this isn't your cup of tea feel free to move along, my feelings won't be hurt  
> If you DO enjoy this or want to see more, kudos and feedback are always appreciated!

When Evie had come to Ben pleading for him to understand her reasons for leaving, he hadn’t grasped why she had refused his assistance. There had nearly been tears in her eyes as she told him Mal had gone back to the Isle of the Lost; Ben wished with all of his heart that he could help Evie retrieve their friend, a fact he confessed to her. She had gone rigid, her demeanor changing as she firmly explained to him that the Isle was not a place for people like him. Ben had laughed and told her he could take it. With her brows hinting she felt otherwise, Evie had allowed him to follow her.

Now, he was beginning to understand her misgivings.

He, Carlos, Jay, and Evie were all seated amongst piles of reeking trash headed towards the Isle of the Lost. Ben himself was hidden underneath a table with three legs that was propped only by a huge, foul-smelling couch. When the VKs had shown Ben how they would be getting onto the Isle, he had stared for a solid thirty seconds then asked what the purpose of the ferry boat was beside an illegal smuggling vessel.

Jay had given him an incredulous look. “You don’t know how your own kingdom functions?”

Ben hadn’t answered, only stepped onto the ferry boat and crouched beside a half-collapsed sofa that smelled of urine and vermin, careful not to touch. As he and the VKs had waited for departure Carlos murmured to him, “If you don’t move and don’t make any noises the goblins won’t notice you.”

Ben remained still, sandwiched between Evie and Carlos as a short, wart-covered creature shuffled by, long nose dripping. The goblin limped to the front of the ferry boat where it climbed into a sweat-stained chair in front of what vaguely resembled a steering wheel. It slapped the wheel impatiently, barking “Grub! Get a move on. We can’t wait all day!”

Something inhaled deeply to Ben’s complete discomfort and a pile of trash shifted and collapsed as a second goblin crawled out. Blearily, the goblin scrubbed at its large, watery eyes with a gnarled hand. It grumbled under its breath as it moved to the back of the ferry, where it picked up a pole nearly four times as long as its body. The goblin plunged the oar into the water, its scrawny arms shaking with exertion as the pole sank and the goblin pushed the ferry boat away from the docks.

Ben looked at Evie, wondering how she felt about the goblins. He found that her attention was fully fixed on something in front of them. Her brown eyes stared straight ahead at a dark formless rock in the far distance. Ben slowly reached down and clasped Evie’s left hand in his right. Her eyes met his and Ben offered a faint smile. She did not return the pleasantry.

The ferry ride to the Isle felt as if it lasted centuries to Ben, and he could scarcely imagine how it felt to the VKs. Jay’s beanie was pulled low on his head as he fidgeted anxiously with a zipper on his thigh, having donned the red and yellow leather outfit he’d arrived in. Ben glanced at Evie and Carlos, noticing for the first time they also wore the tattered leather getups they’d came to Aurondon in. Evie had given Ben an armful of clothes that smelled as if she’d gotten them from the lost and found. As he’d put on the mismatched clothes, he’d realized she most likely had.

Now, he looked over the clothes that the VKs had decided to wear, how the only skin that showed was their faces and not much else; Jay’s vest had a stiff collar that encircled his throat, protecting anything important. His arms were on full display, a serpent tattoo curling around his biceps, intimidating and a clear, unspoken warning to anyone who looked at him. Carlos wore long pants quite different from the shorts he enjoyed in Auradon. The knees were slightly padded, and the dark leather cinched tightly around his waist, though they did not look uncomfortable, merely impossible to get on or off. Even Evie’s beautifully crafted blue bodice was as lovely as it was practical: it was evident from the complicated lacing that started at her clavicle and ended below her bellybutton it was not coming off unless she wanted it to. Ben admired their ingenuity and felt ridiculously underdressed. He almost felt bare.

As they drew near the Isle, Ben couldn’t help but feel a sick, nauseating sort of excitement. As far as he knew, no outsider had been to the Isle of the Lost in decades except for the knights sent to retrieve Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie. There was no documented explanation of the happenings on the Isle - no record of population numbers, which illnesses that might be rampant, what the living situations were like, whether or not the villains were trying to repent for their sins. He was about to witness the horrors that had made his friends into what they were, as well as discover what his parents and all of the supposed ‘heroes’ had created.

The Isle loomed in front of them, black seagulls screaming their misfortune. Several swooped down on the ferry boat, picking through the garbage. Ben was only paying attention to the Isle; massive stone buildings that were half fallen apart leaned haphazardly against each other atop craigly cliffs. Clothing lines stretched between each one, discolored and stained shirts and pants airing out to dry. Ben could see smaller houses and shops between the larger buildings, but they all looked equally dilapidated. The cliffs they were approaching were jagged and sharp, the remains of old sailing vessels reaching towards the hazy gray sky like finger bones in the water.

The goblins steered the ferry boat through the wreckage and around a bend of particularly jagged rocks; beside Ben, Carlos stiffened, his breathing becoming sharp. Ben offered him his free hand. Carlos took it, the red leather of his fingerless gloves cold. As they moved through the tight passage, Ben began hearing voices. He glanced up, craning his neck to see where they would land.

Thirty yards in front of them, a dock was steadily approaching. Roughly three dozen people were standing at the docks, all screaming and yelling, seemingly at each other and at nothing. Ben could see children peering through the legs of adults, their smeared faces highlighted by their eyes bright with hunger. He clutched Evie’s and Carlos’s hands tighter.

The ferry boat knocked against the pier, and immediately people fell onto it, scrambling to pick up anything they could. A woman swept an armful of what was essentially trash into her arms and then ran, two other women ripping at her dress in an attempt to stop her. Jay leapt to his feet, shoving back a man who started to get in his face. The man puffed his chest in retaliation but one more shove from Jay sent him toppling over the edge of the ferry boat and into the water.

Ben crawled out from beneath the table and gaped at Jay. “Why did you-?”

“Don’t ask questions!” snapped Jay, grabbing Ben by the shoulder and steering him away from the chaos. Evie fought off a little girl trying to steal the rhinestones off of her skirt. Carlos cleared a path through the throng of people that had seemed to double, his face a cold mask. Jay pushed Ben ahead of him, glaring at anyone who got too close, though they received very little attention. Everyone was focused on the ferry boat and how to get on it. They were almost off of the pier when a rough hand grabbed Ben’s wrist.

The goblin Grub peered up at Ben, his eyes red and the size of 8 balls. " _Stowaways! Stowaways on the ferry! Stowaways-!_ " He was cut off as Jay punched him across the jaw, his fist dwarfing the goblin and sending him to the ground in one hit. The goblin did not get up.

Ben whirled on Jay, the distant screaming of the ferry boat raiders all but background noise. “What were you thinking, Jay? You didn’t have to do that!”

Jay grabbed Ben by the collar, hauling him away from the pier. More people were streaming by, yelling and pushing at each other. Evie and Carlos followed quickly behind Ben, their eyes watching anyone who got too close. They finally breached the crowd and were on a wide, pothole-filled street that reeked of fish remains.

“Jay, stop! Let me go, I can walk on my own-“ Ben pushed uselessly at Jay’s hand, but it didn’t budge from its position on his shoulder. The son of Jafar frog-marched Ben down the nearest alley and forced him against the wall, the cold stone slimy and thick with moss. Ben shoved at Jay’s chest but Jay barely moved.

“Get off! What the hell-“

Jay leaned down and snarled in his face, “Listen, King, you’re not from here so you don’t know what is and what isn’t necessary. And you don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do, _especially_ when it comes to keeping us safe! I am _not_ going to let something happen to us because you’re having a moral crisis.”

He released Ben, who leaned against the wall, stunned to silence. The brick was slick beneath his palms and left an oily residue on his fingertips. Jay had never spoken to him like that before. Jay tugged a fist through his long hair as Evie and Carlos rounded the corner. “Sorry, man, but this place is bad news. We’re here to find Mal, something I hope we can do as soon as possible. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.” Jay offered Ben a hand to shake.

Taking it, Ben swallowed and said, “No, don’t apologize. You’re right, I don’t have any idea of what kind of place the Isle is, but I’m just as concerned for Mal as you are. She’s my friend too. I’ll let you take the lead, Jay. I trust you. I’m sure that being back here is awful for all of you.”

Jay stared at him for a moment, then turned to Carlos, who had been nervously glancing at both of the bigger boys as if he expected a fight. “It’s cool, C.” Nodding, Carlos stepped in closer, Evie bringing up the rear of their quartet. At the mouth of the alley, a group of gaunt teenagers ran by, yelling, and Evie hissed, “We need to get off the streets. It’ll be dark soon and-“

“The warehouse,” Carlos interrupted, keen eyes flicking between Jay, Evie, and the entrance to the alley they were hidden in. “Mal could be there plus it’s probably got some of our stache left if it hasn’t been raided yet.”

Evie hummed in agreement. She put a small hand on Ben’s arm. “Also, Ben...you can’t call us out publicly while we’re here. If you see us acting a certain way that you don’t like, I apologize but life here is different than in Auradon. Calling us out will only attract unwelcome attention. We need to blend, and snapping at Jay for correcting-“

“‘Correcting’? Evie, Jay struck that goblin. It was wrong! No creature should be treated that way, goblin or otherwise.” Ben glanced at Jay while he said it, but Jay only grit his teeth and said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

Jay then crept to the back of the alley, peering around the corner of a grimy wall before beckoning Ben after him. Unsettled, Ben followed closely behind Jay, Evie on his heels and Carlos on his right, the side of him that was not facing the wall of the nearest building. As they moved along, Ben was keenly aware of the sound of his own breathing and footsteps; compared to the others he sounded like a damn elephant. Evie’s blocky, jeweled heels were silent against the chipped pavement, even Carlos’s many, many zippers were utterly soundless. He glanced at Carlos, who didn’t look like the same Carlos that Ben knew. The Carlos that Ben knew was loud among his friends, eager to please and murmured the quirkiest things under his breath that always made Ben laugh at inappropriate times; the Carlos that walked beside Ben was none of that. Gone were the laugh lines around his eyes, gone was the smile that nearly always graced his lips. They had been replaced with callous, feral indifference that was driven by something so potent Ben wasn’t even sure what it was. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to have friends who cared so passionately about his well being. He wondered what had made them that way.

Ben’s earlier feeling of excitement was being to ebb to merely nausea.

As Jay ushered them deeper into the heart of the Isle of the Lost, Ben kept seeing more and more unsettling things. A woman cradling a baby that was hardly more than skin and bones, heaping piles of trash and rotting food, rats skittering along the edges of the sidewalk. He could hear screaming inside the houses and buildings they passed, arguing and crying. Every new corner they turned, graffiti bedecked the walls, insignias of different villains claiming territory: a distinct blue flame, a skull with exes for eyes, a poison apple, a black dragon that breathed green flame, a teal octopus with a sword through its gut.

Jay stopped at a corner, his hand out to prevent Ben from moving past him. Ben stood on his tiptoes to see over Jay’s shoulder. In front of them was what was presumably the town square. The huge brick buildings parted in a crossroad that rivaled the size of the courtyard at Auradon Prep. It was full of market stalls and crates that served as tables, and dirty, unwashed people mingled between them all. The scent of body odor and rotting food filled the air, so palpable Ben could nearly taste it. Vendors yelled advertisement and screamed at children who tried to sneak loaves of bread. It was a horribly honest glimpse at mortal life, the squalor that was assaulting Ben’s senses like the opera plays his mother liked to drag him to.

Yeah, he was definitely nauseous.

Jay turned to Ben, more serious that Ben had ever seen him. “Listen, Ben. It’s crucial we don’t draw attention to ourselves, alright? We used to be the shit around here, and people knowing we’re back will completely blow our cover and make this trip a lot harder than it has to be. I’d consider us lucky if people hadn’t seen us at the dock, but can’t do ‘nothing about that now.” He looked Ben over like he regretted not throwing Ben off the ferry boat to the sharks.“E, do you think you could cause a distraction?”

Evie grinned, her white teeth flashing. “I thought you’d never ask.”

In an instant, she was gone, and Ben was left with Carlos and Jay. “I thought you said we don’t want people to know we’re here?”

Carlos smirked as he fiddled with the buttons on the back of his left glove. “Evie knows what she’s doing.” Ben figured that Carlos was the most level-headed out of all of them, and if Carlos could be so nonchalant, considering the situation, he shouldn’t worry. Not that it stopped him from doing just that.

Ben tried to look around Jay’s arm, but the taller boy kept him directly behind himself, blocking anyone in the streets’ view. From his position, Ben could see the top of Evie’s dark blue head as she walked the perimeter of the market, never slowing once.

Ben wanted to ask what Evie was going to do, but Jay breathed, “Now!” 

As if she’d heard him, Evie suddenly hurled a brightly colored object to the far corner of the square, then two more in the opposite direction. For a moment, nothing happened, then there were three subsequent _BOOMs_ and blue smoke erupted from the locations of the bombs. The clouds swamped the market, confused citizens screaming and scrambling to get away.

Carlos suddenly shoved Ben forward, Jay’s arm back on his shoulder as he pushed Ben through the chaos to get to Evie. The screaming and rush of people around him made Ben even more nauseated as the smell of unwashed bodies crawled up his nose and permanently took up residence in his nostrils. He buried his face in the crook of his arm, keeping his head low and trusting Jay to take him in the correct direction. Carlos had a small hand on Ben’s back, a constant pressure that pushed him forward whether he wanted to move or not.

Evie suddenly appeared, her brown eyes wild with adrenaline. She attached herself to Ben’s side, their small party making steady progress through the stampeding crowd. Bodies pressed against Ben from all angles, the blue smoke making it hard to see even three feet in front of them. Ben had no idea how Jay knew where he was going.

Ben jumped as he felt something thrust itself into his jacket pocket; he dropped his arm from his face and found a small boy staring up at him with huge eyes, up to his forearm in Ben’s pocket. The boy yanked his hand out and turned, disappearing into the horde. Ben didn’t even have time to be surprised as Carlos snapped at him to move his feet; they were almost to the outer part of the square. Carlos’s voice yelled in his ear, “When we get to the twisted road sign, run as fast as you can, got it?”

Nodding, Ben continued following Jay even as a man with a gleaming silver hook attached to his wrist nearly bowled him over. He was gone as quickly as he’d come, Ben left craning his neck to try and confirm it was in fact who he thought it was. Suddenly, Jay was sprinting, his arm gone from Ben’s shoulders. Ben looked up and saw a sign bent at a 90-degree angle with Skull Island Rd in bold, blocky painted lettering; his brain kicked on and he took off running, feet flying over the pavement as he sprinted to keep up with Jay.

He’d known from the tourney field that Jay and Carlos were fast runners but he hadn’t expected it from Evie. The three VKs vastly outpaced Ben, but he got the feeling they were holding back to stay with him. The four of them raced through the dark streets of the Isle, Jay, Carlos, and Evie easily leaping over crates and barrels that Ben had to pause to clamber over. They passed very few people, but Ben couldn’t help the awful feeling of paranoia that they could be followed. He pumped his arms harder and sprinted, determined not to be left behind.

Carlos veered left, and the group followed close behind. They were running through a tight alley, trash cans and loading crates stacked against the walls making the space narrow. Ahead of them, a six-foot tall chain-link fence barred their path. They slowed, Jay and Carlos easily jumping atop a dumpster that leaned against the fence. They cleared the fence and dropped easily to the other side.

Ben looked up at the fence then at Evie.

Evie put her hands on her hips and said to Carlos and Jay, “You two go on ahead. We’re not far. Ben and I will catch up.”

The other two boys looked vaguely concerned but Carlos nodded and turned, Jay following him. They took off at a jog and Ben might have imagined it, but he thought he heard them laughing.

Cheeks burning, he accepted Evie’s outstretched hand as she helped him climb onto a dumpster then the fence. She threw a slim leg over the top of the fence then soundlessly dropped to the ground. Ben slotted the toes of his boots into the links of the fence, climbing down slower than Evie probably would have liked. His heart was pounding in his ears, muscles burning.  

“I’m sorry,” started Ben as he dropped down next to Evie.“I don’t mean to be a hindrance.”

Evie scoffed. “Ben, stop. You wanted to come so you could help Mal. You’re doing just that. Anyone else back in Auradon would have been too chickenshit to come.”

Ben didn’t answer, but he was thinking of Lonnie, of Jane, of Doug. He didn’t think some of them would have been too ‘chickenshit’ to come to the Isle. They loved Mal as much as he did. He didn’t mention this to Evie. He motioned in the direction that Carlos and Jay had disappeared in. “Shouldn’t we catch up? It’s getting dark.”

Evie rolled her eyes and brushed her hair off of her shoulder. “Those two are just happy to cut loose. I think...I think it's a bit of a relief to be back here.” At Ben’s raised eyebrows she punched his arm, the studs on her knuckles surprisingly painful. “Not because we can go back to plotting and stealing candy from babies, you idiot. Because we can finally be ourselves again. No acting.”

Ben was silent. He wasn’t sure what Evie meant but he didn’t want to overstep and offend her. They lapsed into silence as they walked, questions that Ben desperately wanted to ask swirling in his mind. Finally, Ben took a deep breath and said, “Evie...what did you mean? ‘No acting’?”

Next to him, Evie swallowed, her delicate throat white in the pale light that filtered down between the dark buildings around them. Ben was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling that Evie didn’t deserve the life that been given to her. As long as Ben had known her she’d always greeted him with a smile, even if she was having a bad day. She was smart, beautiful, kind, and far too good to have lived in such a place. All of the VKs were.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Ben, but coming to Auradon has been the hardest and the best thing that any of us have ever done.” Evie ushered Ben around a corner and a crooked oil lamp cast a yellow haze across her features. “Life in Auradon is by far better than it is on the Isle, don’t get me wrong. The food is amazing, the people are generous and aren’t out to get us, we have a place to sleep at night that we aren’t in danger of...well, we have a place to sleep at night, period. Our parents can’t touch us in Auradon. But we have to act like we belong there.” Ben opened his mouth to insist that they did belong there, but Evie raised a hand to silence him. “People are nice to us when you’re around, Ben. It’s better now since kids have come to realize we aren’t plotting their murder in our free time. But when we first came to Auradon you were literally the only person who was kind to us. Fairy Godmother was condescending and spoke down to us. Those damn Goodness Classes were as much of an insult as anything else. Most teachers didn’t trust us enough to even leave us alone with other students.

“I don’t think you realize, but the transition was hard. For all of us. A complete culture shock. We lived our whole lives on the Isle, it was all that we knew. The scrounging for food, the stealing, the violence, the anger. It didn’t just go away. Jay was always told by Jaf...his father that he would be locked outside or...punished if he didn’t return home at night without something of value to put into the junk shop. Carlos had to clean Hell Hall from sunup to sundown if he expected to be fed or allowed to sleep inside. Cruella didn’t make it easy for him. Her henchman, Horace and Jasper, they made it their personal mission to torment Carlos. He’s still not used to being able to trust adults. Mal….her mother was Maleficent. Enough said there. She had to be the biggest and the baddest. She had to fight tooth and nail every day for that title. She couldn’t have allies. She couldn’t let her guard down. Going to Auradon was like a blessing and a curse. We all had to learn what it meant to be alive in a world that actually wanted us.”

“And you?” Ben asked softly. “What was the Isle like for you?”

Evie paused, her eyes tracing something on the ground. “My mother was the Evil Queen but she has a name, you know. Grimhilde. She wasn’t easy on me. She taught me I had to always look perfect, always had to be presentable. I think she was jealous of me, actually. She tormented me. Said awful things that I still hear at night when I’m alone.” She took a shuddering breath, inhaling so sharply that Ben startled.“I didn’t have it the worst, though. Grimhilde at least cared for me.”

Ben stopped, placing a hand on Evie’s forearm. “Don’t downplay your pain, Evie. Verbal abuse can leave as many scars as physical. Just because no one can see those scars doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

Evie swallowed, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. She wiped at her face and exhaled through her nose. “My mascara.” She let out a shaky laugh. “Sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

Ben smiled at her. “You’re beautiful, Evie. Don’t ever believe otherwise. Those scars make you who you are. And you are an unforgettable young woman capable of so much more than what she was raised to be.”

Evie punched his arm again. “Keep that up and I really will ruin my mascara.” Ben chuckled and they resumed walking, a faint smile gracing Evie’s lips. “Thank you, Ben.”

He grinned at her in response. The rest of their journey to the warehouse was mildly uneventful, the only happening being Ben stumbling over a lump in the pavement that caused Evie to laugh at him. They finally arrived at a huge dilapidated building reinforced by corrugated sheet metal, barbed wire, cinder blocks, and wrought iron staves. Rickety scaffolding crisscrossed one side of the warehouse, an open stairway that looked more like a place to contract tetanus than a point of entrance. A barred gate blocked the entrance to the stairs. Evie looked around on the ground for a few moments before she went to the neighboring brownstone, where she wiggled a red brick loose. Hefting the brick over her shoulder, she threw it at a huge yellow sign above the stairs that read DANGER: FALLING ROCKS. The force of the blow knocked back the sign, and a few seconds later there was a mechanical whir as the barred gate lifted.

“C’mon,” Evie murmured, starting forward. “It shuts fast.”

Ben scrambled after her, the gate just behind his heels. Evie led the way up the stairs, Ben careful not to touch the railings. At the top of the stairs, Evie shoved aside a huge grey tarp that must’ve been the front door; inside was a long hallway that was surprisingly clean. Rubble littered the floor but what caught Ben’s eye the most was the decorations on the walls: paintings of thick black thorns curled from the ceiling to the floor, highlighted by green and purple spray paint. Blue roses bloomed from the depths of the thorns, little red, white, black, and yellow snakes intertwined amongst them. The artwork was without a doubt Mal’s.

Ben didn’t have long to revel in its beauty, as Evie was striding purposefully down the hall without him. He followed her down a set of metal stairs to the second story, where familiar voices were rising.

“-kidding me? Gods, Jay! Don’t you think I _know_ that?” It was definitely Carlos, and Ben almost opened his mouth to greet him, but a strong look from Evie cut him off. They remained on the landing, listening intently.

“Listen, C, I’m just worried about you. Your mom is a relentless bitch. This is a clear threat. I wish that we could just-” Jay’s voice stopped as Carlos’s gaze flicked behind him. He turned, glaring at Evie and Ben. “Took you long enough.” He picked up something long from a huge overturned wire spool that served as a table and stormed across the room to show it to them. “Cruella’s been busy.”

In Jay’s palm rested a leg bone, of what genus or species Ben had no idea. But he could clearly read the letters engraved on the side: COME WHEN YOU’RE CALLED, PUP. OR ELSE.

Ben gaped at the note, and looked back up at Jay. “What does this mean?”

“It’s my mother,” said Carlos, scrubbing tiredly at his face. “She knows I’m here. Which means she knows the rest of us are here. Which means-”

“That Grimhilde and Jafar know we’re here.” Evie finished in a whisper. “Oh, evil. This is _not_ good.”

Knowing that whatever he said would probably be met with scorn, Ben ventured, “Would it be...would they...is there any chance they might help us? Find Mal, I mean.”

Jay snorted out an exasperated laugh and placed the leg bone on the table. Carlos stared at it with vacant eyes and only jumped minimally when Jay tenderly placed his hands on his shoulders and began massaging them. Carlos swallowed and reached up, grabbing Jay’s right hand with his own. “Jafar would rather fuck Maleficent than help us.”

Ben stared blankly at him, not quite understanding the joke and Jay groaned, “It means he would rather die. Jafar would rather die than help us and the same goes for EQ.” When Ben looked towards Carlos, Jay growled, “Hell no. Cruella is not even an option. She’s batshit and we aren’t gonna risk going to her.”

Evie took a seat in a big armchair on the opposite side of the table spool from Carlos and beckoned for Ben to do the same. He seated himself on a wooden stool that listed to one side as Evie said, “Ben, our parents won’t help us. It’s out of the question to try.”

Ben chewed his lip. “Are you sure? Are there any other adults who may help us? Certainly not _all_ villains are still abiding by their old ways.”

He was met with silence.

He looked around at his friends, feeling like he was shoving his foot further and further down his throat as the words spilled out. “Really? Surely not, I mean-“

He was interrupted as Carlos suddenly lurched to his feet, his fingers pulling at the zippers of his red and white jacket. The jacket landed on the table, then Carlos pulled his shirt over his head.

“This is what villains do to their kids, Ben,” Carlos said, his voice calm but powerful. “Please don’t presume to know more about the people on this island than we do.” Ben stared in abject horror at Carlos’s torso. His pale freckled skin was marred by a series of dark lines that crisscrossed his stomach and chest. Scars the size of cigarette butts littered his complexion, more than Ben could count.

When Carlos seemed to think Ben had seen enough, he picked his shirt up and pulled it down over his head, Ben noticing for the first time since their meeting that his arms were also spotted with cigarette burns.

Swallowing his shame, Ben choked, “I’m so sorry, Carlos. I had no idea-“ he broke off, unable to finish.

Evie patted Ben’s hand as Carlos sat down. “We can’t go to our parents for reasons you can’t even begin to understand. Maybe one day you’ll be able to hear the whole story, but not right now. Right now we need to focus on finding Mal.” She straightened, her demeanor going serious. Jay’s right hand found Carlos’s again as Evie’s attention focused on them. “Have you two searched the whole of this place?”

Carlos nodded, unruffled composure in place as he swept his thumb across the back of Jay’s hand almost without thought. “Inside and out. She’s not here. Some of her stuff has been disturbed but for the most part, it's untouched. She could’ve stopped by to pick up something, but there’s no way to be sure. When Jay and I got here we checked the integrity of the booby traps we set before we left for Auradon. Only half of them have been triggered, which I’m guessing means that anyone we didn’t want getting in here gave up after they got shot a few times by rusty nails.” He and Jay shared Cheshire grins, giddy for a moment that some of Carlos’s inventions had worked.

Ben wondered how else they had fortified the warehouse, why they had needed to in the first place. He carefully asked, “So what’s the deal with this place? Is it a hideout? A clubhouse?”

Carlos shrugged, saying, “All of the above, I suppose. It’s really a place we could call our own. Somewhere we didn’t have to put on a farce for our parents. After-” He faltered, face paling. Jay tightened his grip at the same time that Evie reached out for Carlos’s free hand.  “After, uh, some shit went down, we all realized we needed a place to get away. It’s somewhere we could stay if our parents’ places weren’t safe. Which was practically all of the time, so it’s...it’s our home, I guess you could say.” He chewed his lip and Ben wanted so badly to ask him what was wrong but he knew it wasn’t his place.

Instead, Ben asked, “So where else is there that Mal could be?”

The VKs were silent.

Jay said, “There’s no way Mal would go to the Bargain Castle.” At Ben’s blank look he said, “That’s Maleficent’s old turf. It’s no doubt crawling with scavengers and squatters. Mal would be stupid to go there, and she’s definitely not stupid. The only other place would be-”

“-the treehouse.” All three VKs said as one.

Ben gazed around at the three of them, feeling vastly overwhelmed. “Treehouse?” _There are trees on this godforsaken rock?_

Carlos nodded, looking a mixture of sick and excited. “It was mine to begin with. It’s behind Hell Hall-”

“Which means you are _not_ going there-” Jay tried, but Carlos cut him off.  “No, Jay. I’m going. Mal needs my help. You can’t stop me.”

The two stared at each other for a long moment, then Jay finally bowed his head. Evie took his free hand in her own, making them a triangle connected by years of pain and only having companionship in each other. “We’re going to keep you safe, C. Cruella and her henchmen won’t get you. You’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, and Jay, Ben and I are here to back you up.” Ben was surprised to be included but he smiled at Carlos as genuinely as he could.

Carlos nodded, face grim. “Let’s do this, then.”

 

=====

 

When was Ben was six years old, he’d been invited to Chad Charming’s Halloween party. It had seemed like no big deal, just another party that the heir apparent to the Auradon throne had to attend to stay in good graces with other royal families. Ben was friends with Chad at their elementary school and had been excited to go. Halloween had never been frightening to Ben. He always knew the monsters and the villains were fakes. All of the true horrors were locked far, far away.

So Ben had attended the Halloween party dressed as Gaston, of course. It was a tradition that the children of heroes go each year for Halloween as their family’s villain. When he’d arrived at the Charming’s castle, a horde had greeted him of children from his elementary; Audrey with a pair of leathery black wings and horns, Aziz in dark robes and an even darker jeweled head wrap, Alice’s daughter Ally in a large decadent Queen of Hearts dress, and Chad himself dressed as Lady Tremaine, outfit complete with a wrangled grey wig. The costumes were comical, the situation hardly unusual.

Chad had had a haunted a house. In it had been caged monkeys, lions, wolves, beasts of all kind. The house had included victims of their parents’ enemies that had screamed at them never to trust villainous wretches.

It had been the most frightening thing Ben had ever witnessed.

Of course, once he’d grown up Ben had discerned it to be propaganda of the most damaging sort. But still. To a six-year-old it had seemed so legitimate.

He knew now what absolute horror was. As he, Carlos, Jay, and Evie stood in front of Hell Hall, his own fear was so great it attempted to crawl up his throat and smother him. Inside that house, mere yards away was the craziest woman that had ever tormented the citizens of Auradon. And her son was standing next to him.

Carlos’s lip was curled. “I’d say she let the place go to shit, but it looks the same as ever.”

Indeed the house was nothing to look at. Three stories with what was possibly an attic, layered wooden slates such a faded shade of white they appeared grey served as the walls, and had a huge wrap-around porch complete with cobwebs. The roof consisted of black shingles that were mismatched and roughly assembled in some places. Of the four windows that faced the street, only one was perfectly whole. Three had rock shaped holes in them, but every single one of the windows were cloudy and dark with dust.

A trickle of cold sweat ran down Ben’s spine.

“C’mon,” Jay said. His hands were in his pockets. “Let’s get off the street before anyone notices us.” Ben followed Jay and the others down the sidewalk and behind a huge hedge that bordered Hell Hall’s lot. Carlos assumed the lead and felt along the inside of the hedge, up to his elbow in shrubbery.

“Aha!” He cried suddenly, then quieted. “Crap, do you think she heard that?”

Evie shook her head and motioned for Carlos to hurry; Carlos ducked through the hedge and disappeared. Jay shoved Ben through after him. The leaves of the hedge scraped at Ben’s flesh, thorny and attempting to draw blood. Ben was grateful for the leather jacket, pants and gloves that Evie had supplied him with from the warehouse. He discovered the hedge was hiding a fence and that there was a hole just big enough to fit through concealed by the leaves. Ben finally emerged from the hedge, finding Carlos standing rigid in front of him.

“Carlos?” Ben whispered, mindful of the woman inside. He put a careful hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Carlos stared at the back of Hell Hall, which was no more visually appealing than the front. His gaze swept over the backyard and the weeds that came up to his waist. He reached out and rubbed the leaves of a dark green weed between his fingertips. As Jay pushed through the hole in the fence, Carlos murmured, “This is spurge. It’s not really harmful, just a common weed. But it’s sap...its sap is what can hurt you. My mother used to let the yard get completely overgrown, a lot like how it is now. Then she’d make me come out here and pull all of these by hand. No gloves or tools. I’d get an awful rash, sometimes so bad I couldn’t open or close my hands for weeks, which really made cleaning the house difficult.” He lowered his hand and looked back at the house.“Cruella never appreciated me much when I was like that. ‘Useless’, she called me. Said I didn't deserve a place in her house unless I could earn it.”

Ben swallowed hard, his mind churning. “C, I’m sorry you ever had to live with that woman. There’s no way I can-“

“It’s not really _your_ fault, though, is it?” Carlos asked, his eyes surprisingly hard. Hurt gripped Ben’s heart but he knew that there was nothing he could do to change the past. It had been his father who’d condemned Carlos and all of the villains’ children to the Isle of the Lost. Ben wished his father was there with them to see the fruits of his own labor.

Carlos looked Ben over one last time before he turned and walked to the far corner of the yard, leaving Ben feeling scorned. Regret and guilt threatened to crawl up and out of his throat but he clamped it down and followed his friends. At the edge of the yard was a ginormous oak tree that had grown through the fence, disrupting the straight line of wood planks. The base was half concealed by shrubbery, but Jay pulled aside the branches, revealing a small black box. He flipped the top down on the box and pressed the dark blue button that was revealed.

Immediately, a rope ladder tumbled down from the branches above, missing Ben’s head by mere inches.

Ben gaped at the rope ladder in amazement. “Holy-Carlos, did you-?”

Carlos nodded proudly, saying, “Hell, yeah I did.”

Carlos led the way up the ladder, Ben following behind Evie with Jay bringing up the rear. The ascent was not an arduous climb, but Ben was surprised by how low the treehouse really was. From the ground the treehouse had nearly been invisible, leading Ben to believe it was higher up. He realized it was merely camouflaged well. Carlos pushed at the bottom of the treehouse, a section of the wood lifting up just big enough for them to crawl through.

Ben hauled himself over the lip, his fingers scrabbling at the dust-slick surface. He gazed around himself in amazement: the treehouse was small, but roomy, with a large sofa pushed against one wall, another wall lined with shelves full of different containers holding various building supplies. A tiny table in the center of the room looked homemade. In the corner farthest from the door were two identical tubs. It was obvious that the space had once been well loved.

Carlos walked immediately to the tubs, Evie right behind him. Jay knelt to retrieve the rope ladder. “If Mal wasn't at the warehouse and she's not here, then where is she?” Evie asked as Carlos picked up one tub and placed it on the table. Ben wasn't entirely sure he wanted the answer to that question.

Ben leaned down to peer at the mismatched contents that consisted of what looked like an emergency aid kit. There were small scissors, rolls of fabric that reminded him of gauze, glass vials of different colored liquid, tubes and bottles of expired medicine brands that Ben recognized from Auradon drugstores. They didn’t look like anything to Ben but Carlos said, “The sewing kit is gone. So is the antiseptic.”

“Guys,” Jay said from behind them. Ben, Carlos, and Evie turned as Jay lifted a single studded purple glove from under the sofa. “This is Mal’s. She’s been here.”

Evie gasped softly and took the glove from him. “Oh, evil. Does that look like blood to you? It’s fresh, I think.”

Jay swiped a finger across the glove and raised it to his lips. “That’s definitely blood. So Mal’s injured somewhere on the Isle, but not here and not at the warehouse. Where the fuck is she?”

The four stared at each other, Ben suddenly overwhelmed with their situation. They were on an island miles from home, somewhere that no one else knew they were, and on that island resided the world's most dangerous criminals. Murderers, thieves, rapists, and kidnappers alike. Ben looked at his companions who had always seemed so resilient. Gazing at them now, Ben was struck by how young they were. Carlos had only just turned 16, Evie and Jay barely older than Ben himself. It was four teenagers against an island. Mal was missing, possibly injured, and they had no way off of the Isle. And she was no where they called their own, which in no way helped the situation-

Ben’s thoughts were interrupted as something hit the window. Carlos and Evie immediately hit the ground, their hands covering the backs of their necks. Ben cautiously joined them on the floor, pressing his face into the worn carpet. Jay flattened himself against the wall next to the window, scowl in place. A second later, something struck the window again. Jay leaned slowly out from his position, peering down at the ground below. He groaned, shoulders dropping.

“What?” cried Ben. “What is it?”

“Not a ‘what’,” grunted Jay as he went to the manhole. He removed the cover and tossed down the rope ladder. “A ‘who’. It’s Freddie Facilier.”

“Fucking hell,” Carlos bemoaned. “Why would you drop the ladder for her? She hates us!” He quickly shoved the tub full of makeshift medical supplies back where he’d gotten it from, but not before Evie threw a blanket over the top.

Just as Ben was about to ask if ‘Freddie’ was in any way related to _the_ Doctor Facilier, a girl clambered into the treehouse. Her hair was the first thing Ben noticed, it being long, black and striped with white. She had a small, heart-shaped face and smooth dark skin. Her eyes were a bright green that rivaled Mal’s, her nose delicate and sloped. But what caught Ben’s attention the most were eight identical raised scars on her face, four beneath each eye. Each one was the size of a pencil eraser and perfectly circular. They had been done intentionally.

“Freddie fucking Facilier,” spat Evie, her arms crossed over her chest. “To whom do we owe the displeasure?”

Freddie dusted off her blouse and garish red waistcoat. “Myself. Word is spreading you guys are back. Way to go for picking the most _obvious_ way for getting back on the Isle. The ferry boats? Really? Auradon turned you guys into lap dogs.”

Carlos glared at her and asked, “Why are you here, Freddie?”

Freddie finally straightened. Her eyes locked onto Ben. “Who is this beanpole?”

“C asked you a question.” Jay growled as he took a step forward. He easily dwarfed the girl but she didn’t seem phased.

She walked up to Ben, who tried to move away but couldn’t as his back knocked into a shelf. “I haven’t seen this one before. He smells-“ She leaned in, her nose inches from his throat. Evie dropped her arms, fists clenched and Jay started forward but Freddie leaned away. “He smells way too clean. His soul is still pure. I doubt he’s ever even called his mother a whore before.”

Ben looked to his friends, at a loss for how to respond. Freddie eyed him up and down again, the top of her head level with Ben’s chin. Evie said in a forcefully calm voice, “What. Do. You. Want?”

Freddie turned away from him finally and Ben wilted, feeling exhausted for some reason. “I don’t want anything right now. Maybe a nice hot meal and a shower but there’s no fucking way I’d get that from you guys, huh? No.” She thrust a hand into her pocket and threw something down onto the table. “I’m paying a debt.”

Evie’s face was carved from marble as she picked up the single purple glove that Freddie had tossed down. It was a twin to the one that Jay still held. “Mal…”

“How did you get that?” Carlos demanded. Freddie was still standing between Ben and the others; Jay and Carlos subtly shifted so they were confronting her from both sides. Evie was as likely to budge from her position across the table from Freddie as a granite church.

Freddie lifted her hands in surrender. “I’m not here to pick a fight. I owe Mal. She saved one of my crew. All old grudges are being ignored until I repay her. You guys don’t have anything to worry about from me.”

Jay barked a laugh, taking a step forward. He towered over Freddie, a look so hateful and foreign on his face that Ben hardly recognized him. “That’s funny. You’ve said that before.”

Freddie glared up at him, her chin jutting into the air. “Like I said. _All_ old grudges are being ignored until I repay Mal. Now, do you want to find her or not?” When no one responded she chuckled and flicked a strand of her salt and pepper hair over her shoulder. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Why else would the fucking king of Auradon have come?”

In an instant, Jay lunged across the space between himself and Freddie; he grabbed the front of her waistcoat and flung her against the wall. Ben took that as his moment to scramble away. Evie stepped over the table to stand next to Jay, whose hand was wrapped tightly around Freddie’s throat. The girl choked, her eyes wide as Evie reached into her purse, pulling out a small vial.

“You remember these, don’t you?” Evie practically purred. Freddie couldn’t respond, but Jay shook her, slammed her head against the wall. She gasped and nodded, eyes squeezed shut. Ben looked desperately at Carlos, whose face was grim. Feeling helpless, Ben wished his father had never created the Isle. It had bred more violence that it had stifled. “You’re not going to tell a single soul that you saw Ben, got it? Otherwise, you know exactly what I’m going to do to you.”

Jay released Freddie, who sagged against the wall, coughing. A hand shaped bruise was already blossoming under her skin. “Nice to see you’re still a relentless cunt.”

Evie smirked at her, slipping the glass vial back into her pocket. “So. You were saying?”

Rubbing her throat, Freddie rasped,“You remember Dizzy, right? Anthony Tremaine’s cousin? Small, innocent, thought the world of you?”Ben glanced at Evie, whose face had shuttered close, unreadable. When Carlos jerked his head in silent assent, Freddie nodded. “Yeah, a few days ago she was in Curl Up and Dye, like always. Harry Hook and some of Uma’s pirate goons came in, same time as Mal was in there getting her hair fixed. You see, Harry’s been...he and his goons...they uh,” Freddie glanced uncomfortably at Ben. “They started extracting their, er, _tax_ again after you three and Mal left. They were there to collect. But Mal wouldn’t allow it. There was a bit of a tussle, Mal and Anthony fought off the pirates but not before Mal got stabbed. She’s at Curl Up and Dye still.”

Evie’s fists were balled at her sides. “Harry’s been after Dizzy?”

Freddie gritted her teeth, anger burning in her eyes. “He hasn’t just been ‘after’ her. He’s gotten her. Ever since you four left the Isle, Uma’s crew has been running this place. Anthony and I can’t always keep Dizzy safe.”

Carlos’s breath rattled loudly in his lungs and Jay said in a stiff tone, “Take us to Mal, Freddie.”

 

====

 

Curl Up and Dye wasn’t as far from the treehouse as Ben had expected, though the vernacular chosen for the title of the hair salon was a surprise. He would’ve been amused if the shop wasn’t run by Drizella and the Lady Tremaine. Inside, chairs not dissimilar to those that resided in the Auradon dungeons were presumably where clients would let their hair be shorn or dyed. Ben steered clear of a table full of scissors and knives.

Upon hearing them enter the shop, a little girl who looked far too undernourished appeared from behind a curtain in the back of the shop. “Evie!” The girl shrieked, darting across the room in a flash of orange and pink. She leaped at Evie, who caught her with open arms. “You’re back! I knew it was true, Anthony said it wasn’t, but I _told_ him you’d come back!”

Evie buried her face in the girl’s hair, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Dizzy. I’m so sorry I had to leave.” Ben glanced at Jay and Carlos, both of whom looked wistfully at the scene before them. Freddie stood beside Ben with her arms crossed.

As Dizzy asked Evie rapid-fire questions about Auradon, a boy melted out of the doorway Dizzy had come through. He was tall, taller even than Jay, with dark brown curls and moody eyes. Thick brows and aristocratic cheekbones gave him a morose, tired look. He was undeniably handsome, but the frown that seemed permanently etched onto his features was off-putting. He strode across the room, looking Jay over.

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?” Even his voice was as smugly disinterested as his expression.

“Couldn’t keep even one person safe, could you?” countered Carlos, surprising Ben with his boldness. Carlos’s dark eyes flicked towards Dizzy. Jay grinned at the affronted look on the boy’s face in front of him.

Anthony Tremaine regained his composure but his face darkened even further, if possible. “That was your job. Then you up and left. So who’s fault is it really?”

Freddie scoffed and said, “Boys, you can all measure your dicks later, right now you need to put them away. They’re here to see Mal, Anthony.”

Tremaine rolled his eyes. “Of course they are.”

Ben opened his mouth to ask the boy what his deal was but Anthony turned and disappeared behind the curtain again.

“She’s back there,” Freddie said, watching Dizzy paw through Evie’s bag, the girl grinning and chattering a mile a minute. Evie was considering her, the brokenness of her heart plain as day in her eyes.

The boys followed Tremaine through the curtain, through a dark hallway that reeked of bleach and harsh chemicals. Tremaine pulled open a heavy iron door then marched silently down a short set of stairs. Ben glanced at Jay and Carlos dubiously before he followed. It took several moments for Ben’s eyes to adjust but once they did he found that Tremaine had led them into a room that very closely resembled a cellar. It was dank and smelled strongly of mold, freezing dampness permeating the air.

In the corner across from the door, a lumpy mattress was pressed against the wall, on it a heap of blankets. Ben approached the bed slowly, his heart hammering in his ears. Kneeling beside the bed, Ben carefully reached out a trembling hand. Jay and Carlos crouched beside him as he brushed away the top layer of blankets to reveal a sweep of purple hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but here we go! Like I’ve said before this work is entirely my own, as are any potential mistakes. If you see any that I’ve missed and it’s just driving you completely mad please let me know down below so I can fix it!
> 
> Also, as always feedback is greatly appreciated! Reading the comments on the first chapter really motivated me to stick with this story!!!!
> 
> And, again, if this isn’t your cup of tea kindly move along

Ben’s fingertips had barely brushed Mal’s shoulder before she had flipped over, knife in hand, eyes green and wild. Her shoulders heaved, either from surprise or genuine fear, although Ben had a hard time believing it was fear; Mal was never scared.

Mal blinked in sleep-induced confusion, her eyebrows knitting together. “Ben?”

Ben nodded, smiling at her. “Yeah. Yeah, its me.”

Mal sat up, pressing her shoulder into the wall, her knife still clutched so tightly in her left hand that her knuckles were white. She held one hand to her stomach, the uneven, padded look to her shirt hinting at a bandage underneath. “What are you-” Her breath caught as she finally saw Jay and Carlos. “ _No_! No, you weren’t supposed to follow me-” She stopped, biting down hard on her lip. Ben was stunned to see tears in her eyes.

Anthony Tremaine grumbled something under his breath about dramatics and shuffled out of the room. Carlos eased himself down next to Mal on the thin mattress, Jay going to her other side. Mal’s thin shoulders shook as she flung her arms around Carlos, crying, “What were you thinking, ‘Los? How could you come back here?”

Jay rubbed circles on Mal’s shoulder as he said, “Couldn’t let you stay here by yourself, M. Had to let you know you’d made the wrong decision. You could’ve told us that you wanted to leave Auradon. I know I would’ve come with you as soon as you said anything.” Carlos nodded at Jay’s words, gripping Mal tightly.

Mal sat up, wet tracks running down her cheeks. She gave Jay a halfhearted evil look, more akin to the Mal that Ben knew. “Jay, I left Auradon for a reason.” She turned her eyes to Ben, who shrank under their scrutiny. “And just what are you doing here, Benjamin?”

Ben swallowed, ducking his head. “I...Mal, you may not realize it, but you are more dear to me than anyone else. I admire everything about you, from your stubbornness to your ingenuity to your will to overcome any circumstance. You don’t think like anyone else I know, and I consider you to be a very good friend. I couldn’t let you return to the Isle when I knew you’d regret that decision.” Mal slowly lowered her knife, her eyes narrowed as if she didn’t trust him. “There’s so much good that we could do. Not just for you and your friends but for the rest of the kids here on the Isle. I can’t do that alone. I don’t think I have it in me.”

Mal stared at him, her chin trembling minutely. Ben had never seen her cry before this conversation. Mal swallowed, gripping Carlos’s jacket sleeve. “I’m not meant to live in Auradon. That’s why I came back, to be somewhere I belong.”

Ben shook his head and opened his mouth to refute that but Carlos interjected, “You belong wherever we are, Mal. We’re a family. No matter what, we’ve always made it work. We can always talk things through. We’re not...We can’t split up now.”

Mal sniffed indelicately and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “In Auradon everyone is constantly watching me, watching us. Here people were too scared of us to even meet our eyes in the street. Even hearing our names sent them in the opposite direction. Now, people come up to me all the damn time and want to know where I got my hair done, how my skin is so clear, if my hair really is purple, wanting to know every damn thing about my life!” She laughed bitterly. “Sometimes I want...I want so badly to just- _hurt_ someone, just to let everyone know that I can. So they know what I think of them. I can’t-I can hardly function with so many people watching me.” She raised her eyes to Ben’s, not an ounce of repentance in their green depths. “They don’t know what it’s like, to have to fight every day for the right to live, to exist. That anything you claim is yours and yours only.”

Carlos held Mal tighter, tucking her head beneath his chin. She closed her eyes as he said, “I know. I know, Mal, but at least in Auradon our parents or anyone else can’t hurt us. _We_ don’t have to threaten and hurt others to survive. There’s plenty of food, we never have to worry about the cold or getting sick or anything like that. It might be hard but if there’s anything you’ve taught me it’s that anything worth keeping has to be worth fighting for. We can’t give up and stay here on the Isle, we just can’t. There’s no future here, no escape.”

“Fuck,” whispered Jay, rubbing at his eyes. Ben was beginning to feel like an intruder on their conversation. “Mal, it’s hard for all of us, okay? You’re not alone in that. I’m struggling too, as much I hate to admit it.” He glanced at Ben then meaningfully jerked his head towards the door, and Ben realized he was being dismissed.

“Oh, um,” Ben stood awkwardly and wiped his hands on the front of his pants. “I’ll, I’ll go get Evie.”

Mal’s head snapped up, knocking into Carlos’s chin. “Evie’s here?”

“Ow,” muttered Carlos at the same time Jay said, “Yeah.”

Ben smiled softly, “I’ll let her know you’re awake.” He then retreated from the room, leaving his friends to their own devices. He wasn’t really surprised that they had not chosen to include him, but he was surprised at how much it stung. All of his life Ben had yearned for friends that could understand him on such a deep, personal level. The unconditional acceptance and understanding. There was no favoritism among them, no jealousy. Seeing the undying loyalty between Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie only made his lack of that sort of bond all the more obvious. His heart throbbed in his chest but he carried on. They weren’t home yet.

In the main part of Curl Up and Dye, Evie and Dizzy were sitting close together at a huge desk covered in what looked like art supplies. Anthony Tremaine was nowhere to be seen but Freddie was absently flicking through a magazine, the cover of which Ben vaguely remembered seeing Audrey carry around a few months ago.

Ben carefully approached Evie, her blue curls falling in a curtain down her back as she sat with Dizzy. Dizzy was eagerly showing Evie something that Ben couldn’t see. “-and this I made using fork tines and jar lids! I thought they might be a bit much, but Anthony said it looked good. Do you like it? I hope it’s not too gaudy, gaudy is not cute-” She stopped as she noticed Ben. “Oh, hi. You must be Ben! I know you from all of the daily Auradon talk shows, its all my Grandma watches!”

Though he was unnerved that the Lady Tremaine watched his TV interviews, Ben smiled as kindly as he could. “That’s right! Do you mind if I talk to Evie for a moment?”

Dizzy grinned toothily at him from behind huge tortoiseshell glasses. “Sure!” She kissed Evie on the cheek before quite literally skipping out of the back door.

Ben turned raised eyebrows to Evie. “She’s sweet.”

Evie smiled affectionately. “She is. Far too sweet for her own good.” The smiled slipped for a moment. “Is...is Mal okay?”

“Yeah, she’s good. She’s awake at least. She seems healthy enough.”

Evie looked toward the door, nervously. “Was she…”

“Happy for company?” Ben supplied with a small smile. “Not really, but there’s a lot of hugging and crying and talking about feelings going on in there right now.” He leaned in and whispered dramatically, “Even from Jay.”

Evie giggled and wiped her palms on her leather tights. She slipped her compact out of her purse and checked her makeup, asking Ben (or the mirror), “How do I look?”

“Stunning,” Ben assured her. Evie took a deep breath, then stood and crossed the room in long, confident strides. Ben laughed and called, “Above the waist action only!”

Evie blushed and flipped her middle finger to Ben over her shoulder as she slipped through the door.

Ben sat for a moment by himself, smiling. He was about to get up and take a look around the salon when Freddie Facilier drawled, “So why did they bring you along?”

He turned and found her sitting on a sofa against the wall, underneath a huge painting of a grey and white cat. “Well,” He said, joining her on the sofa. It was lumpy and smelled like bleach. “I asked them to.”

Freddie tossed down her magazine and fixed him with a look that said _Don’t bullshit me._

He sighed, playing with the tattered end of his jacket sleeve. “I don’t know. I thought maybe I could help. Normally I’m great at reading situations and steering things onto the right track, but here it’s...I don’t even know. I’m completely out of my element.”

Freddie chewed on the inside of her lip as she considered him. After a moment she said, “You tried to do the right thing. That’s what all Auradonians are brainwashed to do since birth, right? You’re just following instincts.”

Ben wasn’t sure if he should consider that a jibe or a compliment. “I guess so. I want to help, so badly, but it’s like every time I open my mouth I say the wrong thing.”

Freddie laughed and crossed her legs. “Welcome to the real world, King.”

Ben eyed her, certain he was being mocked somehow. “So what’s your story?” He asked. “Everyone seems to have a tragic past around here.”

Freddie rolled her eyes and griped, “That seems like something a dramatically monologuing Mal would come up with.” When she realized he was being serious she shrugged and fiddled with a button on her waistcoat. “You’re not going to get anything like that out of me without a deal of some kind.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of deal?”

“The kind where you sign your soul over to me so I can play with it when you die,” Freddie smiled.

Ben inched away from her, uneasy. “I’m going to have to turn you down.”

Freddie laughed, “I’m kidding, it’s my dad who likes to barter for souls. I’m just good at reading them.”

“Is that how you knew? That I’m ‘pure’ or whatever.”

Freddie nodded as she pulled a long cherry colored string from the waistcoat’s gold buttons. “Yeah, it is. Can’t really explain it but it’s something I’ve always been able to do.”

Ben thought of Mal’s flashing green eyes, the dragon she sometimes morphed into. He thought of his father and of the curse that had turned him into a beast. He said, “It’s not the worst magical ability to have been strapped with.” Silence fell over them, Ben feeling awkward and Freddie still pulling strands from her coat. Ben, desperate for conversation, finally blurted; “That tax that you mentioned earlier...Why such a fuss about it? Seems like paying Harry Hook or whoever would be easier in the long run than-”

“What the fuck kind of tax did you think I was talking about?” Freddie snapped, suddenly sharp.

Ben stared at the girl, wondering what he’d done to make her lash out. “The….monetary kind?”

Freddie scoffed and brushed away the few strands of cherry string that had fallen onto her leggings. “I forget you Auradonians aren’t constantly subjected to the darkest parts of humanity.” Her gaze pierced Ben to his very core as she said coldly, “One thing you can tell your father is that that girl-“ She pointed to the door Dizzy had disappeared through, “-is going to be first on the list when you idiots are selecting more kids to take over. We aren’t taught how to be kind or how to respect people’s wishes; we’re taught to take what we want, when we want it. Otherwise someone else will steal it from beneath your nose. And if you can’t take it, break it. Harry Hook is the embodiment of Isle behavior. He’s never been told no means no, or any shit like that. He’s a bully and he doesn’t care who he hurts, as long as he gets what he wants, at any price. Dizzy has paid that figurative price more times than she should have.”

Ben’s heart plunged to his feet. “You don’t mean-“

“Yes, I do mean,” Freddie snapped in annoyance. Gone was the girl who had been laughing not even minutes before. Ben felt the size of an ant as Freddie continued saying, “Not that anyone in Auradon cares, but sexual assault happens all the time here. We’re stuck on this damn rock with the world's worst villains who have nothing to do. So they torment everyone else in any way they can. And they teach their habits it to their children. It’s a sick, festering cesspool of cruelty and Dizzy doesn’t fucking deserve it.”

Ben swallowed, the nausea from before crawling back. “I know this is a stupid question but why does no one stop Harry?” He refused to believe that no one cared enough. No one could be that heartless.

Freddie shook her head, annoyed, and Ben wanted to throw his hands up. Seemed like he couldn’t say the right thing to her either. “Anthony and I try, but he’s normally working and my dad keeps me busy. We can’t always be here.” She swallowed, frustration curling her lip. “Besides; if we step in...it only makes it worse the next time he comes back.” She stared at her hands  “He’s even turned on Anthony before. Beat him up pretty bad.”

Ben stared at the floor. “I don’t want to ask too many questions, but Anthony said to Carlos and Jay that protecting Dizzy was their job.”

“Yeah,” Freddie said, her face twisted into a grimace that was hard to discern. “Your pals used to run this place. Honestly used to scare the shit out of me. Maleficent was frightening enough but Mal was practically an extension of her. And Jay...I’ve seen him be kind to his crew but he was just as bad as Mal. Everyone knew to steer clear of them unless you wanted a world of pain. I still don’t know how Carlos and Evie managed to get into their good graces, but they were a unit. You didn’t get one without getting all four. And you definitely didn’t mess with one of them. All four were-are terrifying when one of their crew is injured.” She swallowed, ducking her head. “We used to clash over turf, who got first pick of the ferry boats, generic shit like that. Evie somehow became close with Dizzy, probably bonded over their obsession with designing.”

“So they looked after her?”

Freddie nodded. “You take care of what’s yours here.”

Ben was silent, digesting the onslaught of information Freddie had just delivered him. He’d always know that Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie were the worst of the worst on the Isle (it was why they’d been the first to be brought over). How could they not be, considering their parents? They’d done an excellent job at fooling everyone into believing they were good when they first arrived at Auradon, but Ben’s interactions with them back them had always felt...rehearsed. Like they had an inkling of what being good looked like but not any idea how to carry it out. He’d only felt like he’d seen their real colors at his coronation.

In the past, he’d seen Evie’s hands trembling if she smeared her lipstick or her foundation rubbed off onto something. He’d noticed the ridiculously tiny amount of food she ate, even as her friends scarfed down anything they could reach. He’d seen Mal being surrounded by cameras and reporters with her fists clenched so hard her nails drew blood on her palms. He’d seen Carlos flinch and duck his head whenever a coach yelled too loudly. He’d seen Jay tense, his muscles coiled tighter than a spring anytime someone made a backhanded comment about the VKs, like he wanted to do something about it but knew he couldn’t. None of them had truly shed their old ways, and Ben was angry with himself for not having seen it earlier. No, he was mad at himself for seeing it but convincing himself they were fine.

He didn’t want them to be like Mal, so overwhelmed that they fled back to the hellhole that had created them.

Ben hunched over, his elbows on his knees as he whispered, “Did Harry ever...did he hurt you too?”

Freddie fixed him with a gaze that belonged to a woman three times her age. She looked tired and like she had been fighting for far too long. She let out a long sigh and said, “No. No one has ever tried with me. They’re too scared of my father.” She smirked. “Guess that makes me lucky. Almost everyone around here has been in some kind of trouble in that regard.”

Ben looked towards the door that led to his friends, his heart heavy. He turned to Freddie, a question on his lips, but Freddie said sternly, “I’m not going there. Not with you. That’s their business. If they want you to know every skeleton in their closet they’ll introduce you themselves.”

Ben nodded as he leaned forward again, all of the air leaving his lungs in a shuddering exhale. He tried to catch his breath but he struggled to inhale, the pressure on his chest so harsh it could have been physical. Freddie gave him a wary look and Ben turned away from her. He thought of home, his mother’s library, the smell of open book in his hands, the feel of worn pages between his fingers. He thought of his father pushing him on a swing when he was little, carefree and unburdened. Within a few minutes, Ben had calmed down enough to where he could sit upright. He shoved his hair out of his face, exhaustion hitting him like a brick to the head.

As if she sensed his sudden fatigue, Freddie said, “You know, there’s another mattress I could bring for you, if you want. I can put it in the cellar with Mal.”

Ben blushed despite himself. “I don’t-that won’t be necessary. I can sleep here.”

“What a gentleman, refusing to sleep on a completely separate bed nowhere near a female,” Freddie snarked sarcastically as she stood. “Evil, is everyone taught how not to impugn someone else’s dignity over there? Follow me.”

Ben stood on unsteady feet and trailed after Freddie, the bleach smell of the couch staying in his nose even as he arrived back in the cellar. Mal had drifted asleep again, her head in Evie’s lap. Evie leaned against the wall, her fingers carding through Mal’s hair. Mal’s legs were across Carlos’s lap and her feet rested on Jay’s thighs. Jay was asleep too, his head resting on Carlos’s shoulder, his beanie in the hand that laid atop Carlos’s knee.

Ben felt a pang of sorrow at the scene, remorse that these broken, beautiful people had had to live the life they did. And it may as well have been his fault. He knew in his heart he could’ve done something earlier, maybe even years ago. He should have done something sooner.

He hadn’t realized Freddie had left and returned, but she coughed from behind him and he turned. She was standing in the doorway, holding the corner of a thin mattress. He moved out of her way and she dragged the mattress to the corner where she dropped it to the ground.

“There,” she said, the scars on her face oddly bright in the dim lighting. “Sorry if my hospitality isn’t up to par with what you’re used to.”

Too tired to argue and beyond caring, Ben murmured, “It’s fine. Thank you.”

Freddie snorted and left, the lamp on the wall flickering as she slammed the door. Jay shifted but didn’t wake, and Carlos said to no one, “This _really_ reminds me of a jail cell.”

Ben didn’t respond, only collapsed onto the mattress, which was only a bunch of different shirts and rags roughly sewn together. It had been stuffed with something, but what Ben had no idea. He had no blanket or pillow but he would be damned if he asked for one.

 

======

 

Ben was startled awake the next morning (or so he presumed) by the cellar door slamming open. He jumped, banged his elbow on the concrete floor, and dazedly heard Mal yell, “ _What the fuck-!_ ”

Anthony Tremaine stood in the doorway, clutching a tray of bowls. “Morning, beautiful.” He looked to Ben and laughed, “And you too, Sunshine.”

Ben groaned, his back complaining as he sat upright. Anthony went to Mal, where she and the other VKs were now all awake, Mal visibly pissed. Jay’s hair was flat on one side, lines on his cheek from Carlos’s jacket. Mal snarled, “You’re a real piece of shit, Tremaine.”

Anthony smiled sweetly at her, his eyes glittering beetles. “Thanks, doll.” He handed Jay a bowl, who sniffed it distrustfully. Carlos and Evie took their own bowls, eyeing Anthony’s offering like it was a scorpion in their shoe. Mal immediately put her own bowl on the ground, completely ignoring it as Anthony handed Ben one. In the bowl sloshed a watery liquid that looked faintly brown in the dim light. Chunks of...something floated in what Ben thought was perhaps soup.

Tremaine straightened with his tray, staring at Ben. Ben looked down at what he guessed was his breakfast then back up at Anthony. The tall boy watched him, face in a permanent haughty sneer. Ben cringed internally but raised the bowl to his lips and tilted his head back, the cold liquid sliding into his mouth. He held his breath as it went down, trying not to breath. The soup left a grainy texture on Ben’s tongue, but honestly wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever eaten. Only a bit watery.

Once Anthony was satisfied Ben had at least tried the soup, he smirked, raked him over one more time with those dark eyes, then promptly left. Ben placed the bowl on the ground, unsure whether he wanted more or not.

He looked up and found the VKs staring at him.

“You got balls, man.” Jay said, taking a sip of his own soup.

“I figured he’d stare at me until I tried it,” Ben said, eyeing the bowl. Something that faintly resembled a carrot floated to the top, mold spotting its sides. Ben’s stomach churned and he got the feeling he’d regret the soup later. Mal was still resolutely ignoring her portion but Ben could hear her stomach growling even from where he was.

“We talked some last night,” Evie said to Ben. He glanced up at her and found that, once again, four sets of eyes were on him. “Mal isn’t strong enough yet to leave. She’s going to need another two days, maybe three before we can really try to escape.”

Mal looked like she did not agree with that statement, but Ben asked, “So you’ll return to Auradon?”

Mal nodded, her eyes on the floor. “I’m not... _thrilled_ about it, but yes.”

Ben smiled at her, relief and gratefulness spreading like cool water all the way to his fingers. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. That’s amazing.” He faltered, not sure if now was the best time to mention something he’d been chewing on for a while. “The only problem is we really don’t have a way home.”

Carlos tapped his chin thoughtfully. “The ferry boats?”

“They would’ve gone back to Auradon the moment they were empty. You wouldn’t have brought that handy dandy gold button, would you?” Jay implored Ben, one eyebrow arched.

Ben shook his head.

Silence fell over the group again as that sunk in.

Ben mentally berated himself for not bringing anything for their escape. He could’ve brought a transmitter to send the royal guard his location, a phone, anything. Yet he’d been so worried about Mal that he hadn’t even taken five seconds to think about what he would do when he found her.

“We’ll think of something,” Evie promised, only a mild tremor in her voice. “Right now, Mal needs to heal and we need to get somewhere that’s ours.” She glanced towards the door. “Freddie says she’s only repaying a debt, after that it’s back to how things used to be. I’m not sure I want to stick around long enough to see her bad side again.”

“So we go back to the treehouse-“ Ben tried but was immediately stopped by four incredulous stares. “I mean, it’s closer than the warehouse.”

“Yeah, it’s also right in Cruella’s backyard.” Jay said, like Ben was an idiot four year old who had suggested that they go to Hell Hall itself.

“Alright, then we go to the warehouse.” Ben said, desperate for some kind of solid plan. The past 24 hours felt like they’d been running from one loose string to the next, grasping with clumsy fingers that never found their mark. Now that they’d found Mal, Ben didn’t want to be in such a panic-induced frenzy as they had been.

But maybe he was the only who’d been panicking.

Carlos helped Mal get to her feet, the petite girl clutching at her side. “Fucking Harry,” she spat. “I should kill him while we’re here, then no one else would ever have to put up with his shit.”

Evie bit her lip, one hand on Mal’s arm. “Mal, you know that would never-“ She glanced uncomfortably at Ben before she cleared her throat. “Uma wouldn’t be happy about that.”

“Uma can suck my-“ Mal stopped and groaned, hunching over.

Watching Mal, Evie said softly, “Mal, I have poultices that will help that to heal so much faster.”

Mal shot her a look that was part annoyance, part pain. “Yeah? On you? Because if you mean-“

“Please, Mal!” Evie begged, but Carlos and Jay both groaned, obviously knowing what Evie was talking about but Ben was once again lost. “I can’t stand here and watch you in pain, it’s not right. They aren’t far, just around the-“

The four broke out into bickering, Mal and Jay staunchly against whatever it was that Evie was proposing, Carlos sticking up for her.

“C’mon, guys!” Ben yelled, interrupting them. “That’s no way to fix this! We can’t just-We can’t just yell at each other and expect to get something accomplished! Now, _what are you talking about?_ ”

Jay exhaled and pulled hard on his hair, grunting, “Evie used to make these...mixtures, I guess you could say. Poultices. Between all of our parents,” he gestured around the group, “And what we ran into on the streets, we used to get injured on the daily. What Evie made is nothing short of a miracle and probably half the reason I’m still alive. Hell, all of us really.”

“So it could help Mal,” Ben said excitedly. “We should use it!”

Jay shook his head at the same time Evie cried, “See! He gets it!”

Mal threw her hands up angrily as she yelled, “He doesn’t get that the poultices are back at your old castle. That the Evil Queen lives there and Cruella lives down the street. That’s two villains that we have to avoid. It’s not worth the risk! I’m going to be fine, we are not-“

“What if we had more than one reason for going?”

Everyone looked at Carlos. He shrugged and said plaintively, “Ben keeps saying that he wants to help with the situation here on the Isle. He can’t do that if he doesn’t know what goes on. So we give him a bit of a tour on the way there then we get the poultices. And,” he swallowed hard, scuffed his boots on the floor. “Maybe we check on Diego.”

Ben had no idea who that was (he was getting real tired of not knowing what the hell was happening) but Evie breathed out in a rush, Mal’s eyes softened a degree, and Jay reached out, grabbed Carlos’s shoulder and steered the shorter boy into his arms. He murmured against Carlos’s hair, “C, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

Carlos pushed away from him. “Diego never had a crew to keep him safe, and he was the only real family I had years before I met you guys. I can’t… I can’t be here and not see how he’s doing.”

He stared at the others with big eyes until they relented. Evie glanced at Mal, her face considering. “If you won’t get off this idea then you may as well fucking go. I’m too tired to argue,” Mal grumbled.

  
Jay turned to Ben, his face grim.

“Looks like we’re going on a field trip.”

 

=======

 

It took them half the morning to get back to the warehouse, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell by looking at the sky. When they had arrived the day before, the sky had been a dark, roiling gray that made Ben think it would rain. There had been no sunset, no gradual disappearance of light, only sudden darkness to signify that night had come. As they arrived outside the warehouse and Ben helped to search for a rock suitable for the sign, the midday sky was as dark as it had been the afternoon before. It unnerved Ben and gave him the awful feeling that time was slipping him by.

Carlos found a rock big enough and they trailed into the warehouse, the gate squealing in protest. Evie helped Mal up the stairs, Carlos and Ben hot on their heels as Jay watched the back of their group. Ben thought they were lucky not to have been seen by anyone outside the occasional passerby. He also thought they were lucky that Anthony Tremaine and Freddie had let them go without a hassle. Dizzy had been crushed that Evie was leaving so soon, only consoled by Evie’s promises that she wouldn’t be gone for long. Ben didn’t know when Evie thought she would be going back.

Inside the warehouse, Ben followed the VKs up to the fourth floor, passing the third which looked like Carlos’s and Jay’s room. He only got a small glimpse of it as he walked by the open door but Ben was able to see that the entire floor had been converted into a room, with two beds and a myriad of furniture.

When they arrived at the fourth floor, it was nearly the exact same layout; two beds, one each on two of the opposite walls, with a collection of furniture that seemed unnecessary but for some reason took up most of the space. More of Mal’s artwork covered the walls, including more of her twisted black thorns and blue roses. Evie deposited Mal onto a bed bedecked in purple sheets, Mal groaning as her back hit the mattress.

Ben looked to Carlos and Jay, who were not all paying attention to the girls. They were occupied with one of Carlos’s old inventions in the center of Mal’s and Evie’s room. A small mechanical toy that looked as if it had been made from a soup can and a series of bent electrical wires circled Carlos’s feet on toy truck wheels. The two were laughing, the old toy between them whirring and making rustic creaking noises.

Ben felt about as useful as a librarian in an operating room.

He was startled out his moment of self-pity by Evie saying, “Boys, if you’re going to get my poultices you should leave soon. Grimhilde usually takes an evening walk after lunch. Some excuse about ‘walking it off’. Honestly I think it was just so she could go talk shit with Mother Gothel, but either way. She’ll be gone.”

Jay clapped Ben on the shoulder. “Ready to get an up close and personal look at hell?”

Ben wondered, not for the first time, why he had been so adamant that the VKs take him. “Sure.”

 

======

 

Hell turned out to be a lot of empty roads and houses. Evie’s old castle was almost right across the street from Hell Hall but the warehouse was almost halfway across the Isle. The journey from Curl Up and Dye had been longer to the warehouse, but as they arrived at what once had been Evie’s home, Ben felt more drained than if he’d walked from one side of the island to the other.

Jay, Carlos and Ben approached Evie’s castle from a side street, so all Ben could see of it from one side was a huge hedge that made even Hell Hall look small. He realized he hadn’t seen it when they’d been at Hell Hall before because the hedge stretched all the way around the property. From the front view it only looked like an overgrown bush, no hint visible of what it was hiding.

“How are we getting in there?” asked Ben, panting slightly from the brisk pace the other boys had set. Mal was too injured to come and Evie had flatly refused to join them.

“There’s a hole that Mal made in the stone fence behind the hedge,” Jay explained, darting around the corner to the front of the castle’s property. Hell Hall loomed like a ominous shadow behind them. “We should be close.”

He and Carlos went to work looking for the hole in the hedge, Ben anxiously attempting to keep watch. The street behind him was essentially deserted, only occupied by a few trash cans, one particularly large pile of what appeared to be old carpet, and a small shed overgrown with vines. Every once in a while, movement would catch his eye, but he couldn’t pinpoint who or what it was. Hell Hall remained stoically unmoved. It was the only house on the street, only accompanied by the huge oak tree that hosted Carlos’s treehouse. The rest of the block consisted of one other home, which was far too run down and broken even for the residents of the Isle.

Carlos made a noise of discontent behind him and Ben turned in time to see him clutching his hand, his fingers bloody. “Thorns,” Carlos said shortly, sucking on his fingers.

Ben turned his attention back to the street, anxiety making him believe that a shadow moved in his peripheral vision. He whirled, heart hammering, but only saw the slim tail of a cat disappearing behind the heap of carpet.

“Ben!” hissed Jay. Ben looked back to see Carlos gone and Jay with one arm halfway swallowed by the shrubbery.

After a final look over his shoulder, Ben ducked under Jay’s arm and began to push through the branches. Thorns tore at his hands and arms, the leather protecting his body but not his face. Ben shoved through the branches, unsure where exactly he was going but determined to go in a straight line. One branch slipped up and out of Ben’s grasp, it’s thorns slicing across his cheek. Ben let a gasp, startled more than hurt, but continued to push on. He came a to a rock wall and, similar to at Hell Hall, there was a hole where the rocks had been removed just big enough to crawl through. He had to get down on his hands and knees to manage the tight squeeze, but Ben was able to shimmy through.

On the other side, Ben clambered upright with Carlos’s help to find a huge courtyard that actually looked well tended, unlike everything else Ben had seen so far. Ben wiped at his cheek, a steady flow of warmth sliding down his face and to his shirt collar. He stared at the red on his fingers in shock.

Carlos laughed at his expression and said, “Not to be rude but is that the first time you’ve seen your own blood?”

Ben shook his head, Jay finally emerging behind them. His beanie was knocked askew and he righted it with a scowl. Ben said, “No, actually. I just wouldn’t have thought a scratch would bleed so badly.” He wiped again at his face, the blood still flowing freely.

Jay brushed by him, only eyeing the blood for a moment before he said, “We should be quick about this. No telling when EQ will be back.”

Carlos nodded, he and Jay taking off at a brisk jog. Ben hurried to catch up, his bloody cheek forgotten. They made fast progress across the grounds that Evie once resided upon, Ben shocked at how well kept everything was. The grass was cut at an acceptable level(albeit brown and dead), the limbs on this side of the hedge neatly trimmed, the gravel walkway that stretched through the center of the lot even and maintained. Ben couldn’t fathom who would take the time to put so much care into the landscaping of the castle, but someone obviously had.

The jog did not take very long, but Jay, Carlos and Ben kept to the perimeter of the hedge, making Ben feel claustrophobic. Soon, a ‘castle’ no bigger than Hell Hall came into view. It was made of the same dark grey, almost black stone of the surrounding fence, had huge stained-glass windows that it was evident someone had taken care in preserving, and large steepled roofs that were Gothic in design. Miniature gargoyles and stone ravens kept watch all along the border of the roof, several missing wings or limbs. Despite its ancient, out-of-place beauty, the castle without a doubt screamed ‘Evie’. It was old-world architecture and bespoke a timeless grace; Ben was not surprised this was where the Evil Queen had taken up residence.

The boys moved silently over the grounds, though Ben could see no sign of life within the castle. “Does EQ have guards or people working for her?”

Jay shook his head. “She has a few henchmen. They’re the ones who do the yard work. I don’t know how she pays them and I’ve never asked.” He pointed to the side of the castle, where a vine curled from the ground to the tallest pire of the east wing. “That’s how we get in.”

Ben gulped, eyeing the branches of the vine. Luckily, the plant had been there a while. The base of it was as thick around as Ben’s waist, with numerous limbs branching off that rivaled Jay’s thighs, thighs worthy of Chad Charming’s envy. Ben was regretting turning down Chad’s crazy workout regimens as they began to climb. The castle was lot taller than it looked.

By the time the three boys hauled themselves over the lip of the roof, even Jay was panting from exertion. Carlos rolled onto his back, chest heaving as he groaned, “That used to be a lot easier.”

Ben’s head spun and he gripped the dead leaves atop the roof with clammy hands. “Easy?”

Jay sat upright, his beanie in his hand. “Used to be, King. Auradon doesn’t exactly require a lot of physical activity unless you go looking for it.” Jay pulled his beanie back on his head and Ben managed to sit up, even though he would have rather melt into the roof tiles. “Tourney was physical activity.” Ben defended half heartedly

Jay smirked at him. “You guys play tourney for three months out of the year.”

“True,” Ben allowed. “There’s still other physical activities you can get in to.”

Carlos grinned as he stood, offering his hand to Ben. “You got that right.” He shot Jay a sly smile and Ben blushed, sure he was once again missing something important. Jay laughed, “Maybe one day Auradon will include a Sex Ed class. Then everyone will know what they’re missing out on.”

As Ben rose he felt heat rise to his neck and he spluttered, “We-We offer Human Anatomy!”

Carlos and Jay grinned at him devilishly. Carlos patted his shoulder as he said, “Seeing something on a projection board and seeing something in person are two very different experiences, my friend.” He and Jay shared a chuckle as they began moving across the roof towards a window of the next floor, leaving Ben feeling embarrassed and oddly annoyed.

He shrugged it off, remembering what they were there for, and telling himself that Carlos and Jay didn’t mean anything by it. They’d never been outright rude to him before, maybe had made passive aggressive comments that Ben only figured out hours later, but they had never purposefully been assholes to him. He was secure enough in their friendship that he didn’t worry too much about it.

Jay and Carlos were at the window, Carlos on one knee with what looked like a metal toothpick in one hand. He jimmied the toothpick between the window frame and the window, wiggling it back and forth. There was a small _click_ as the window unlocked. Carlos put his pick back into one of his many pockets then pushed open the window.

Ben followed the other boys as they ducked inside, his heart racing. They might have been sure that the castle was empty, but Ben wasn’t.

It took several minutes for Ben’s eyes to adjust but when they did he found himself in a spacious bedroom, darkly stained hardwood beneath his boots. The walls were the same dark stone as the outside of the castle, and a bed resided in one corner, long royal blue drapery keeping the mattress and sleeping space hidden. Across from the window was a large vanity that took up half the wall. A mirror stretched from one end to the other, the table top covered in neatly arranged makeup and vials. There was enough makeup to rival Audrey’s collection back home, something that surprised Ben.

Jay and Carlos immediately went to a set of wood drawers and began rifling through, discarding blankets, dresses, sewing supplies, all things of Evie’s. “I don’t see it!” Carlos hissed, pulling a drawer from the dresser and upending it onto the floor. All that fell out were neatly rolled socks.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Ben asked as he approached the table. Vials, jars, and small boxes gleamed up at him, reflected double in the mirror, making the tabletop seem twice as full.

“A box,” said Jay, his voice muffled. He was half inside a huge wardrobe. “About as big as Dude, with mirrored sides and gold trim. You’ll know it when you see it.”

Ben chewed his lip and set to work scourging the tabletop for what Jay had described. He found plenty of tiny boxes that held small things like earrings and rings, but nothing bigger than his fist. He gave up on the tabletop and began pulling open the vanity drawers, only slightly guilty about invading Evie’s privacy.

As Ben and the others searched frantically through the room, a cold sweat broke out along Ben’s spine; their quick visit was turning into a long one, the sky outside becoming darker. Ben, Jay, and Carlos completely wrecked the room, not a single drawer untouched. Ben had looked under the vanity even, Carlos going so far as to pulling at the stone walls for a loose brick.

“Evil!” yelled Jay, kicking at an overturned lamp. “Where would Evie have hid that box?”

“Is it possible the Evil Queen found it?” Ben asked, his hands shaking. He didn’t want to be discovered by EQ or any other villain. He wanted to find the poultice that would heal Mal, then he wanted to go home.

“No,” said Carlos, looking sick. “EQ might be a hardass about manners and shit like that but she’s too caught up in herself to go through Evie’s things. We used to hide our stuff in Evie’s room all the time. She never found anything.”

Ben swallowed down his nausea, panic making him even more nervous. He was about to ask if the poultice was really worth it, if they could just wait a few more days, when Jay cried, “ _Fuck_ me! Wait a damn second-“

He crossed the room to Evie’s bed and threw open the curtains, dust making Ben cough. Carlos and Ben watched as Jay stood on the mattress, the tall boy reaching up to the center of the canopy covering where the curtains all came together in one place. He felt slowly along the circular centerpiece, deft fingers feeling for seams. He smiled to himself then twisted the circle. It came off with a _snick_ and out fell a small felt pouch.

Ben ogled the pouch that Jay now cradled. “Is that-“

Jay pulled the drawstring, a small, amber colored bottle sliding out. Ben stared at Jay and Carlos, hoping against hope-

“Thank evil!” cried Carlos, bursting into laughter. “I really thought that-“

All three boys froze as a sudden slamming downstairs reached their ears. Ben glanced at Jay with wide eyes, Jay looking as equally caught off guard. There was silence below them.

“Maybe it was the wind,” whispered Ben.

“Maybe EQ is back,” Jay shot back, dropping off of the bed and going to the window. “We need to leave, now. Evil,” he looked outside. “We’ve been here too long. We have about an hour before the sun goes down.”

Ben and Carlos hurried after Jay out the window, Ben glancing up and wondering how Jay knew what he was talking about, but not wasting the time to ask. They went to the vine, Jay and Carlos beginning the climb down quickly and without hesitation. Ben stood at the edge of the roof, heart beating in his ears as he looked at the ground far below.

“Ben, man, it’s okay!” Carlos whisper-yelled up at him. “It’s going to be alright! It’s not far, you can do it!”

Ben swallowed his misgivings and lowered himself down, shakily sliding over the edge of the roof and down onto the vine. His booted feet felt too big and clumsy, his fingers like lead as he tried to find places to put his hands. He pushed away the panic and the fear and moved down as fast as he could without losing his grip. Finally, _finally_ , his feet touched solid ground. He wheezed slightly, adrenaline making his hands shake so bad he could barely get his hair out of his eyes.

Carlos clapped him on the shoulder murmuring a quick, “Good job,” before he took off running. Jay and Ben followed, Ben grateful to keep moving. The run to the hole in the wall felt like seconds to Ben, and he shot through after Carlos, barely paying mind to the thorns.

“ _Ben, stop-!_ ”

Ben was halfway out of the hedge as he lifted his head to see Carlos struggling in the arms of tall man he didn’t recognize. The man bent Carlos’s arm behind him so hard that a loud pop resonated across the dark street. Carlos yelled in pain and dropped to his knees, the man quickly slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Hey!” Ben cried, taking a step forward to help but stopping as Carlos shook his head. Jay burst out from behind Ben, his breath leaving him in a startled gasp.

“Ben, run!” shouted Jay, shoving Ben in the opposite direction. Ben’s feet stumbled against the pavement as he was caught off guard. “Run!”

Ben turned to do just that, but knocked smack into a warm body; he stepped back, another stranger standing in front of him. He was short and had a leering grin on his face, the skin on his neck saggy as if he had once been heavy then lost quite a bit of weight in a small amount of time. “‘Allo, there!”

Ben had just enough time to see the man raise a wooden plank bigger than one of Ben’s legs before it slammed into his forehead. Ben careened sideways, his body hitting the pavement. As his eyesight began to swim, he saw Carlos’s still form slumped on the ground, Jay facing off alone in front of him, eyes hard. Blood was streaming from his nose and there was a nasty looking cut on his forehead.

The short man’s foot connected with Ben’s temple and his head snapped back. Ben groaned softly, tasting blood in his mouth, the concrete rough against his cheek. He looked up at his friends in time to see both men lunge at Jay before his vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could be seen as explicit by some, so I’m posting the warning now for child abuse and graphic violence. This chapter also talks about sexual assault so just be forewarned. 
> 
> For anyone wondering, I got the name of this fic from the song [Far From Home (The Raven) by Sam Tinnesz](https://youtu.be/8y4Sz8_Oq1M) . I’ve been listening to that on repeat for over a month now and it’s really helped to get me in the right headspace for this. If anyone is interested, I definitely suggest giving it a listen

When sensation finally returned to Ben, he did not immediately open his eyes.

He remained very still and attempted to keep his breathing calm. He could tell that he was sitting in a hard chair, pressure on his ankles, wrists, and around his waist telling him he was efficiently tied down. A rag in his mouth tasted of stale alcohol. The air smelled of cigarette smoke and dust, making Ben want to sneeze. His head throbbed, a ridiculous, white-hot pulse shooting through his skull with every breath. He could vaguely hear voices in another room.

Carefully, Ben slitted his eyes the barest amount, enough to see where he was.

He found that he was indeed tied down, a thick brown rope wrapped around his middle securing him to the back of the chair. More rope bound his forearms and his calves to the chair’s arms and legs, his knees spread an indecent amount. His gaze traveled along the floor, plush red carpet dark with age and smoke. The walls of the house, which must have once been white, were stained by time and nicotine. There were few paintings on the yellow walls, but the closest one was of an abstract landscape, a city far from here that Ben did not recognize. The room hosted a long sofa that had several suspicious stains on it, but Ben slid his gaze away quickly, already sick enough. He didn’t want to imagine anything that had been done on that sofa. A coffee table sat in the middle of the room, the glass top littered with cigarette ash and burned-through filters. The room could have passed as a tea room, small enough that it did not show the rest of the house, except for the entrance foyer and what Ben hoped was the front door. To his left, a broken window was boarded up with misshapen pieces of wood.

Ben didn’t have to guess where he was.

The voices in another room were still conversing in low tones, and Ben slowly turned his head to the right.

His breath stuck in his throat.

Next to him, previously unnoticed, were Jay and Carlos. Carlos was definitely unconscious, his eyes closed and mouth slack, breathing shallow. He was on his stomach, face in the carpet with his arms tied behind his back, wrists and ankles bound. The arm that Ben had heard pop earlier was oddly longer than the other, still bent behind him painfully. Ben was certain it was dislocated. Dried blood matted Carlos’s hair to his face, the wound invisible to Ben from the angle he seeing Carlos. Jay was next to him on the ground, laying awkwardly on his back, his arms bound underneath him and beanie nowhere in sight. The blood from his nose was dried on his face, the cut on his forehead purpling. He had a busted lip that Ben hadn’t seen before, and there were dark bruises underneath his eyes that suggested his nose was broken. Neither he nor Carlos were gagged.

Ben’s felt his pulse beginning to climb and his palms turn clammy; Jay and Carlos were two of the toughest people he knew. Now, they were laying on the floor mere feet away, immobilized and injured. Ben didn’t know how many adult villains were in Hell Hall with them. He figured he could count on the two men who had ambushed them to be somewhere in the house, presumably Horace and Jasper, Cruella’s infamous henchmen. That meant at least two people Ben would have to either talk his way through or fight. And he was no fighter.

He prayed silently that the mistress of Hell Hall was not home.

Ben nearly screamed when a foot knocked into his.

Jay gazed up at him, hard eyes telling him to keep quiet. Jay sat up, glanced at Carlos, then the entrance to the foyer, through which the voices were still drifting. He had just started to maneuver his arms under himself to bring them to his front when a tall, gaunt figure slid through the door frame. Ben breathed out in warning but the figure vanished as quick as it had come. His tongue turned dry against the rag.

Ben jerked towards Jay, who now had his hands in front of him. Despite the rope around his wrists, Jay’s deft fingers worked quickly at the ties on his ankles, his breathing ragged. He had just managed to get his left foot free when a deep voice asked, “Now little snake, is that any way to behave?”

Jay froze, his entire body going still. Ben’s stomach dropped to the floor and he slowly looked to the door, wishing he could be anywhere else. In the entryway there stood a man, and not the gaunt one that haunted the halls. Despite the years, he still held himself with the unmistakable air of royalty. He was easily six feet tall, his skin the same golden bronze as Jay’s. Audrey had once joked that the villains on the Isle were old and fat, but Jafar had a trim, broad figure. A headwrap concealed his hair, but his beard was black and coarse, gray twined within it. Serious eyebrows hooded black eyes devoid of emotion. He was without a doubt the former vizier of Agrabah.

Jafar smiled at Ben and it was sickly. “It’s not often we have guests. Forgive my brat. Despite my best efforts,” Ben risked a glance at Jay. He was staring a Jafar, face pale. “He has not turned out the way I intended.”

The ex-vizier took a step into the room, his attention fixed on Ben. “Is Auradon finally concerned about our state of affairs here?” When Ben didn’t answer (he couldn’t, not that he would if he were able) he mused, “They send their boy king, merely a child, to investigate us? Hmm,” he approached Ben, towered over him. Ben swallowed hard, staring at the wall behind Jafar. “No. I don’t think so. You’re here for a different reason.” He leaned in, so close that Ben could smell the moldy, unwashed scent of his clothes. Jafar curled two fingers under his chin, made Ben look him in the eyes. “What are you here for?”

Ben ignored him, heart hammering faster. His head throbbed. Jafar straightened, face tight. He gripped Ben’s jaw, slipped two fingers between his lips and pulled the rag from his mouth. Ben coughed and inhaled sharply a breath of dirty air.

“Will that inspire a response?” Jafar asked, his black eyes smoldering.

“Leave him alone, Dad.” Jay said. 

Jafar and Ben looked at Jay, one angry and one terrified. Jay glared at Jafar, his bound hands in his lap.

Jafar’s mouth thinned and he said to Ben while watching his son, “I apologize for my spawn’s lack of manners. You’re not a parent so you wouldn’t understand. Raising children is a tiresome, rewardless enterprise-”

“What the hell would you know about raising children?” Jay spat. Ben coughed, his throat seizing on dust. He wanted to tell Jay to stop talking, that he’d only make Jafar angry. “You didn’t raise me. I raised myself, you old bastard-” He was cut off as Jafar flew across the small space and slapped him, the blow cracking through the silence. Ben flinched as if he was the one who had been struck.

“That’s no way to talk to your father!” Seethed Jafar, standing over Jay. Fear trickled down Ben’s spine as he glimpsed Jay’s hands trembling.

“I’ll talk to you however I want,” Jay sneered as he glared defiantly up at Jafar.

Jafar’s hateful gaze raked over his son. Ben pulled desperately on his restraints, wishing he had thought to bring a knife. Jafar growled, “Auradon has changed you, little snake. You’ve grown bigger, stronger. You’ve grown a _spine_. I would say it looks good on you, if your tongue hadn’t turned so black.”

Jay scoffed indignantly. “Three meals a day will do that to you.”

The ex-vizier crouched in front of Jay, who was still on the floor. His ankle restraints may have been untied but he had not yet managed to undo the ones on his wrists. “And while you enjoyed three meals a day, you left me here to starve, little snake. I gave you a job to do and you failed. A simple task: retrieve the Fairy Godmother’s wand and release me. Yet you couldn’t even accomplish that. Did you at least bring something home for me?”

A muscle in Jay’s jaw ticked but he did not answer.

Jafar spat in disgust, a glob of spit hitting Jay’s front. “Get up,” he said icily, standing. Ben tried not to shiver at the new, dangerous charge in the air.

Jay complied, kicking off the remaining bonds from his leg as he did so. His eyes came level with his father’s protrudent brows. Jafar pushed his son to stand in the middle of the room, in front of Ben and away from Carlos’s still form, for which Ben was relieved. He did not want Carlos to be hurt by the sociopath in front of them.

Jafar circled Jay, looking him over. Jay’s eyes found Ben’s and Ben swallowed, inclined his head in a silent apology. Jay nodded almost imperceptibly then squared his shoulders and stared resolutely at the wall behind Ben. In front of him, his bound arms trembled minutely. A dull, vacant look fell over his eyes and the trembling stopped.

Jafar hummed, “I’m disappointed, little snake. First, you pester me daily with your mere existence, then you disobey my command to find Fairy Godmother’s wand, then you return here and don’t even attempt to bring me something? You don’t even seek me out? I taught you better than that. Every day is an opportunity to find something for me.” He was behind Jay now, eyes dark and unreadable. Jay’s jaw was clenched, his face an impenetrable mask. “The Genie is in Auradon. Surely you could have brought his lamp.” Jafar’s long, bony fingers began patting down Jay’s sides, feeling for valuables. “I _know_ that Auradon is full of riches. You can’t fool me there.” His hands slid into Jay’s jacket pockets, Jay barely reacting. He looked completely empty, the only sign he was alive being the occasional blink. Ben wanted to cry. “You wouldn’t hide anything from me, would you?”

Jay didn’t respond, his eyes unmoving.

Jafar’s face twisted and his hands became frantic, angry. He undid Jay’s bonds long enough to pull his jacket off. When Jay’s wrist’s were resecured, he began rifling through the pockets. Jay remained still in front of him, his thin black shirt hiding nothing.

When Jafar realized he would find nothing in Jay’s jacket, he threw it aside. He glared at his son, livid. “Why do you hide things from me, little snake? I taught you everything you know; what’s yours is mine!” He kicked Jay’s feet apart, nearly making the boy fall, then proceeded to pat from his ankles back up to his waist. His hands dipped and felt along the pockets at Jay’s thighs, Jay’s face impassive.

Ben couldn’t stand it any longer. “He doesn’t have anything!”

Jay’s composure broke. “Keep your mouth _shut_.”

But Jafar had already turned away from him. He faced Ben now, his hungry eyes boring a hole through Ben’s skull. He approached Ben and leaned over him, the mold scent berating Ben’s nostrils once again. “You are not to be trifled with, King of Auradon. You’re far too valuable. You’re our bartering ticket off of this godforsaken-”

“‘Our’?” Jay inquired loudly. He took a step forward, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow. “Who are you working with, Dad?”

“The brat’s mother,” Jafar crowed, evidently proud of that. He pointed at Carlos, who had yet to stir. “We’ve struck a deal. That’s none of your concern though.” He raked his gaze over Ben again, hunger and something else in the black. He faced Jay, whose back straightened.

Ben, desperate to keep Jafar away from Jay, croaked dryly, “How do you know I am who you say I am?”

Jafar stopped. He said in a low voice, “I don’t owe answers to anyone.”

Jay was shaking his head at Ben but Ben barged on; “I could be anyone. There’s no way to tell I’m the King. Ben is a common name in Auradon. Auradon would never comply to your demands if you brought them a fake.”

Snorting, Jafar faced him. Ben felt a small trill of satisfaction that he now had the former vizier's full attention. He didn’t like the way Jafar looked at Jay. Jafar sneered, “Despite what slander they teach in Auradon, we villains are still a force to be reckoned with. We are not cowering, sniveling fools.” He paused. “Perhaps some are. Not all have sunk so low, though. When we are freed from this wretched rock, we will extract our vengeance upon Auradon tenfold.”

Ben’s blood turned to ice, but he said, “Either way. There is not a sure way out of here. You’ll never escape.”

“So you say.” Jafar chuckled, his yellowed teeth flashing. “Beast will release us or receive your head on his front doorstep.”

Ben wanted to yell that his father was Beast no longer, but of course he couldn’t say that. He schooled his face to look as menacing as he could. He thought of the few times he’d seen Mal’s true anger and channeled as much of that into his voice as he said, “And despite what you think, the people of Auradon are not soft sheep waiting to be slaughtered. We have the backing of more than a dozen countries, even more heroes. We have the Fairy Godmother, the Genie, Yen Sid, Queen Elsa. If you break out of the Isle, and that is a strong ‘if’, you will be met by the strongest army in Auradon history. You are a handful of villainous traitors, old, weak and decrepit.” He laughed, cold and most unlike him. “Do you _really_ think you stand a chance?”

Jafar and Jay both stared at Ben for a good thirty seconds. Ben felt another thrill run through him but it was smothered as Jafar’s fist hit him across the jaw; pain bloomed from the punch, blood filling Ben’s mouth as his teeth cut on his cheek.

Jafar’s breath was coming fast and he opened his mouth presumably to say something awful but Jay said sharply behind him, “He’s got a point you know. How could you ever win? What fight have you ever won on your own, huh? Shit, when was the last time you were even in a fair fight? You beat on me, beat on Carlos. Beat on anyone you can, anyone who won’t fight back. Auradon will fight back. And you’ll run back to your shack like the coward-“

“ _That is enough_.” Jafar crossed the room to him in three steps. His face a furious mask, he put both of his hands on Jay’s shoulders. Jay leaned his head back to look his father in the eyes. There was a resigned look in them that Ben never wanted to see again in his life. Jafar said in a surprisingly calm voice, “I’m glad you remember your lessons from me. Do I need to give you another one, right here? With your King present? Or better yet, should I give one to _him_ instead?”

Jay glanced at Ben then back to his father, thinly veiled panic on his face. Jafar caressed Jay’s cheek, his thumb brushing over the bruises beneath his son's eyes. He said softly, a threatening undertone hanging in the air, “Despite your unruly insolence and uncanny ability to completely fuck up everything,” He pushed a strand of Jay’s hair away from his face and Ben’s skin crawled. He would’ve thrown up had he anything in his stomach. “I have missed you, little snake.” His hands drifted down Jay’s torso, palms tracing the planes of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen. “It’s been…” Jafar dug his fingers into Jay’s hips, his lips inches from Jay’s ear. “ _Far too quiet._ ”

There was a clicking of heels on hardwood then a woman’s voice trilled, “Jafar! Do that in your own home! I won’t have you defiling any of my furniture.” Cruella de Vil strode into the room, Ben willing himself not to shrink into the chair. “Not after last time. Took my boy _three days_ to clean up your mess. Just because your spawn is back in town doesn’t mean you can start fucking like jackrabbits in my house.”

Jafar moved away from Jay, Ben feeling an immense wave of relief even as Cruella stepped further into the room. She was as imposing as all of the pictures portrayed her; tall and skinny, wearing only a thin black dress. Her boney shoulders were draped with a huge black fur coat, the coat matted and ugly. Her wild black and white hair resembled a bird nest. Ben could see every bone in her chest, her gaunt figure skeletal.

Cruella examined the room, her gaze surprisingly sharp. All of the stories he’d heard about her had described her as unhinged. The woman before him was anything but that.

She approached Jay, ran one finger up his back and to his shoulder. Jay shuddered softly and shut his eyes. “Formidable. Congratulations, Jafar, your offspring isn’t a complete and utter disgrace, unlike mine.” She pointed to Carlos on the floor. “What an idiot. He should be grateful I didn’t drown him at birth like I planned.” Cruella looked at Ben, her eyes so similar yet so incredibly different than Carlos’s. “We can’t hurt you, King of Auradon. Spoiled goods are not ideal for bartering.”

Jafar rolled his eyes. “He’s been attempting to convince me he isn’t the King of Auradon.”

Cruella laughed, a scratchy, cough-like noise that made Ben cringe. “How could he not be? He’s the spitting image of his whore mother!”

“You’ll never get off the Isle!” Ben spat. “You having me doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

Cruella smiled, yellowed teeth and blackened gums revealed as her thin lips stretched. “You don’t realize what lengths blithering idiots like your parents will go to for their loved ones. Your parents will shit themselves in their haste to get you back. And if they intend to get you back in one piece they will do exactly as we say.”

Jafar nodded, one hand still on Jay’s shoulder. “Beast and Belle will be beside themselves with grief at the mere thought of harm befalling their precious son.” Jay flashed him a murderous look which luckily went unnoticed.

Ben shook his head, a lance of pain shooting through his skull. “My parents might care for me but they aren’t so stupid as to be coerced by villains. They’re smarter than you, with more resources.” His throat was so dry, his tongue felt like a brick in his mouth.

Cruella pulled a small silver carton from her coat and selected a single cigarette from its depths. She lit it with one hand and blew out a gust of smoke, right in Ben’s face. He broke out into a fit of coughing, his parched throat screaming in protest.

Cruella leaned back, her arms crossed over her stomach. She took another drag from her smoke. “Jasper!” She shrieked, making Ben and Jay wince. “Bring some water for the King!”

There was scuffling, then the gaunt man Ben remembered from before shuffled into the room, his drawn features waxen in the light that streamed through the window. He carried a cup which he must have been waiting with, to have complied so quickly. Jasper crossed the room and hunched over Ben, his breath rotten. He forced the cup against Ben’s mouth but Ben kept his lips pressed shut.

Jasper hissed in annoyance and pressed a clammy finger against the hinge of Ben’s jaw; the mixture of pain from the pressure point there and Jasper’s touch against his growing bruise made Ben gasp. As soon as his lips parted, Jasper poured the liquid down Ben’s throat: he broke into coughs, refusing to drink what the villains gave him. Jasper held his mouth closed and pinched his nostrils, forcing Ben to swallow.

Satisfied, Jasper stepped away to stand next to Carlos, who was still motionless. Ben coughed a few more times, hating himself and the fact he’d let them all get into such a situation.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Cruella crooned, her smile turning Ben’s gut.

Jasper remained a silent shadow in the corner, his eyes dead and mouth oddly tight. Ben asked hoarsely, “What’s wrong with him?”

Cruella laughed shortly, devoid of humor. “That’s a long list, boy. If you mean why he won’t say anything, it’s because I had the runt cut his tongue out.”

Ben’s eyes grew huge. “ _What?_ ”

Cruella walked over to her son’s prone form, while Jafar kept his fingers digging into Jay’s shoulder. “I found the runt sniveling about Horace and Jasper, saying how they hurt him and blah, blah, blah. I didn’t doubt him, but I was furious he’d come to me. Why complain if you’re not willing to help yourself first? _Weakling_.” She growled and crouched over Carlos, her lit cigarette still in hand. Jay shut his eyes. “So I made him cut out Jasper’s tongue. They needed to learn a lesson, for touching what is mine. I left Horace with his, I still need one fully functioning minion, after all. The runt needed to learn that he is above them. And that I can’t solve every problem he comes up with.” She took a final drag from her cigarette, the filter all but burned away. She pressed the cherry ember against the side of Carlos’s exposed neck, smoke and the acrid scent of human flesh burning filling Ben’s nose as she did so.

Ben cried, “ _Stop!_ ” He pulled against his restraints uselessly and Cruella laughed at him as she stood upright, throwing away the cigarette.

“The pup knows no different,” Cruella said gleefully. “He expects it. He _craves_ it. Why else would he come crawling back?”

Ben glared at her, angry tears burning at his eyes. He was about to tell her exactly what he thought of her when there came a loud banging on the door.

Cruella shrieked, “Horace!”

The same bumbling man who had knocked Ben unconscious scrambled to the door from the hallway, wrenching it open with a shriek of hinges. There was a dull metallic ring then Horace was falling backwards limply to the floor.

A young man stepped over his body. He wore long leather pants, thick boots, and a long-sleeved shirt with an electric guitar crudely drawn on the front. He flicked salt and pepper bangs out of his eyes. “Hey, Auntie.”

Cruella screamed something indiscernible and Jasper ran across the room, boney fists raised. The boy brought up a huge lead pipe and swung it at Jasper; it collided with the goon’s head with a dull thud and the gaunt man collapsed. Anthony Tremaine, Freddie Facilier, and Evie stepped through the doorway after the boy.

Anthony sneered, “What the _fuck_ kind of carpet is that?”

Cruella began screaming and Jafar whirled on the group, over his shock. Jay shoved him, the man stumbling into the teens. Freddie pulled a knife from up her sleeve and plunged it into the the man’s shoulder. He yelled, slapping her so hard her head whipped sideways. Anthony kicked his legs out from under him and he went down, the strange boy and Freddie falling on him like vultures.

As soon as the fighting started, Jay flew across the room and grabbed Cruella by the front of her coat. She screeched profanity and threats at him but abruptly stopped as Evie stepped close to her. Evie pulled the same vial from her purse that she had used to threaten Freddie and removed the stopper. Cruella cried shrilly, “ _You wouldn’t dare!_ “

“Oh, I would.” Evie snarled. She raised the stopper above Cruella’a face, releasing the end. A clear liquid dripped out slowly; as soon as it made contact with Cruella’s forehead she began screaming again, this time so loudly the hair on Ben’s arms raised. Cruella thrashed but Jay held her tightly. Her skin sizzled and blistered, the flesh melting. Smoke rose from the acid burns and Ben swore he saw bone.

“Please, please, no more!” Cruella sobbed, but Evie’s eyes were dark and furious. She stopped when the dropper was empty, considered the slim tubing, then upended the contents of the vial across Cruella’s chest.

Jay released her immediately to avoid touching the acid and Cruella collapsed onto the floor, sobbing and still screeching so loudly the windows would probably shatter if they were in one piece. She wiped uselessly at the liquid, only hysterically screaming louder as her hands burned. Evie and Jay stood over her thrashing form as she struggled, but Ben couldn’t watch. He stared a hole in the opposite wall, breathing through his mouth with tears stinging his eyes again.

Jay came to Ben’s side and began untying the ropes that held him to the chair. As soon as he was free, Ben lurched to the side and dry heaved on the ground. When he was through, he sat upright, stomach cramping violently, and gazed exhaustedly at the room.

Cruella had disappeared, but he could hear her somewhere in the house, her screams shaking the walls. Jafar was on the ground, his body bloody and one arm bent at an odd angle. Ben could not see Horace or Jasper but he didn’t want to. He couldn’t handle any more.

Ben stared at Jafar. “Is he-“

“Not dead.” Declared Anthony. He was leaning against the doorframe of the entryway. “One thing you Auradonians did as a ‘favor’ was curse this island and all its inhabitants to where we can never die. No matter how hard they try, our parents can’t get rid of us.”

“And we can’t get rid of them.” Jay spit on Jafar’s still form. “He’ll recover. It’ll take him a while, but he won’t die.” He retrieved his jacket from the floor and gathered Carlos’s body in his arms. “Which means this one is okay.”

“And,” Evie said in a singsong tone, far too chipper for someone who had just marred a woman beyond all repair, “With this, he’ll be better than okay.” She brought Jay’s beanie from her purse and shook out the familiar felt pouch.

Freddie raised a slim eyebrow, but said nothing. The boy next to her laughed and said, “We better get a share of that for the trouble this has been. Not that it hasn’t been fun.” He approached Jay and brushed Carlos’s hair away from his face. The matted locks were dark with blood but with the two next to each other, there was no mistaking the similarities between Carlos and the strange boy. They had the same curly black and white locks, the same jawline, the same doleful lips. He looked at Ben, brown eyes glinting in the pale light. “I’m Diego. What say we get out of here, huh?”

 

 

=====

 

 

“They’re cousins,” Evie explained shortly. “As near as anyone can tell. Apparently, Cruella had a sister.” She, Ben and Mal were sitting on Mal’s bed at the warehouse, Ben still reeling from what he had witnessed at Hell Hall. Mal had her shirt off, which Ben had spluttered and turned away from but Mal had insisted Ben stay while Evie addressed her wounds.

Mal was leaning against the wall since the bed was only a mattress on the ground. There was no headboard or footboard, which Ben was unused to but was not surprised by. “Diego’s been cool most of the time we’ve known him. He really only cares about his music but he’s got a protective streak for Carlos a mile wide.” She winced as Evie’s fingers tugged away the bandage around her middle. “Can’t say I know him personally, though.”

“He helped us.” Ben said softly, eyeing the crudely stitched stab wound on Mal’s side. “That’s all that matters.”

Mal looked down at her handiwork, her hand fisted in the sheets as Evie started prodding the stitches. “Sometimes people only help you to help themselves. You should always be aware of an ulterior motive, Benny Boo.”

Ben turned his head as some of the stitches began leaking blood at Evie’s ministrations. “That’s no way to live, Mal.”

“It’s a good way not to die.”

Ben glanced sharply at her then immediately regretted it as he got an eyeful of blood and half-removed stitches. Mal let out a pained hiss but otherwise remained silent. Ben let out a breath, focusing on Jay’s and Carlos’s s sleeping forms across the room on Evie’s bed. They were tangled in limbs and sheets, Jay’s arms tight around Carlos. Diego, Anthony, and Freddie had followed them up the stairs when they’d arrived back at the warehouse. Diego was across the room, spread across a lumpy sofa, eyes closed. Freddie and Anthony had gone to the roof, their blurred forms just visible through the patched sunroof. Mal had been adamant that those three not be permitted inside the warehouse, but Evie and Ben had quickly convinced her that it was only for a little while, and that once they went back to Auradon, they would never need the space again. Mal had been tired and grudgingly relented.

As soon as they were inside the warehouse, Jay had deposited Carlos’s body on Evie’s bed. He had taken a small pinch of the felt bag’s contents and pressed it against Carlos’s tongue. They remained asleep, though Evie had assured Ben that once Carlos woke up he’d be perfectly fine except for the mess of blood.

Mal groaned as Evie removed the final strands of her stitches, saying, “Those were a bitch to put in. I don’t understand why we can’t just leave them.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “You gave yourself stitches?”

“Not like I would trust Freddie Facilier near me with a fucking needle. Of course I did.”

Head aching, Ben did not respond. He couldn’t get the sound of Cruella’s screams out of his mind or the looks that had been on Evie’s and Jay’s faces as she thrashed. Ben didn’t want to believe it but it had looked like they’d enjoyed it. He could only picture the small smile on Evie’s face, the glint of satisfaction in Jay’s eyes. He shuddered, reminding himself that Cruella was a villain. She deserved it. She and Jafar were prepared to trade Ben for their freedoms. And Jafar…Ben knew that Jafar deserved what he had been dealt.

As if sensing his thoughts, Evie said softly, “I wish you hadn’t seen that, Ben. You should never have been there in the first place.” When Ben looked at her, she was mixing the poultice with what appeared to be water.

“How did you know we were in trouble?”

Evie hummed softly, her shoulders moving in a delicate shrug. “You guys had been gone way too long, I figured something must’ve happened. I knew that if you really were in danger I couldn’t help you on my own, so I went to Curl Up and Dye for backup, and then to Diego’s old place. Considering the message we got earlier, I knew Cruella must’ve done something. Diego knows Hell Hall like the back of his hand.” She smoothed her skirt with the back of her hand, her fingers sticky with green residue. “When I found Jay’s beanie outside of my old place, it only confirmed what I had already thought. Plus, there was a bit of a blood trail going across the road.”

Ben made a face at the thought but Mal whispered, “You’re so smart, doll.”

Evie blushed and Ben thought of another question that had been burning at his insides. “Cruella and Jafar,..are they always like that?” He asked, staring at the bruises that were forming along his forearms.

“Psychotic?” Snorted Mal.

Evie rolled her eyes and said, “Pretty much. From the sound of it, Cruella was in one of her better moods.” Ben had recounted the entire experience to Evie and Mal, after Jay and Carlos had fallen asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Jafar’s hands on Jay, the possessive, dark gleam in the former vizier's eyes.

“And Jafar?” Ben held his breath.

Mal and Evie froze, their eyes meeting in some silent conversation Ben would never be privy to. Mal’s face was carefully blank, Evie’s voice guarded as she started applying the wet mixture to Mal’s wound with her fingers. “Depends on what he did. You didn’t mention him much earlier.” She licked her lips, eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at Mal’s torso. “Mal, your wound looks better already. And your stitching, it wasn’t half bad. Since they came out so cleanly that’ll help with the healing-“

“Please,” whispered Ben tiredly. “Don’t change the subject. Jay is my friend. I’m not-“ He swallowed. “However you think I’m going to react, I promise I won’t. I just want the truth.”

Evie didn’t meet Ben’s eyes, only started to rebandage Mal’s wound. Mal watched Ben with a calculating gaze as if weighing him. Despite his headache and bone-deep exhaustion, Ben refused to look away first. They sat for what felt like eons, neither one willing to break eye contact. Finally, Mal said, “What exactly did Jafar do?”

Ben shoved a hand through his hair, his bruised jaw reminding him of its presence as he spoke. “Like I said earlier, he told us that he and Cruella were planning on using me a bartering piece to get off of the Isle. But before that...he was very _hands-on_ with Jay. Did a whole body search on him, kept asking about why Jay hadn’t brought him something from Auradon.” Ben swallowed, his nose full of the mildew scent of Jafar’s clothes. “He was touching Jay all over, getting way too close to him. Cruella said that they couldn’t ‘do that’ in her house, not after last time. And that just because Jay was back didn’t mean they could start...could start-“

Evie, finally done with the bandage, began putting away her supplies wordlessly. Mal put her shirt back on, neither of the girls replying to Ben. He stared at them helplessly, wanting the truth but scared of what he would hear. Deep down he knew. He just didn’t want to be right.

“Jafar has always been hard on Jay,” started Mal, her voice carefully low. “When we lived here, he would send out Jay to collect items for his shop. Jafar resells things at the Junk Shop over by my old castle, you see. Most of it really is junk, but no matter what, Jay had to come home every night with something that Jafar considered valuable. If Jay didn’t come back with something worthy, Jafar would punish him. He’d beat him up so badly that he couldn’t leave the Shop for days, which of course only enraged Jafar further. For that reason, as well as how banged up Carlos got, Evie came up with this poultice.” Mal’s voice was stoney and disconnected like she was rehearsing a story she knew well and didn't particularly like. Her voice was devoid of all emotion, her eyes daring Ben to say something.

“One time, Jay hadn’t turned up for about a week. I think we were around nine or ten, back before Jay and I recruited Carlos and Evie. See, we were friends first. We would never have called each other friends, but we met up nearly every day to compare our findings and sometimes traded. I thought I knew everything about him. Of course, I knew Jafar was an asshole with a bad temper, but-“ She stopped for a moment, pained eyes drifting to Evie’s bed. Her voice lowered even further. “When I snuck in through the back door…” Her eyes found Ben’s again, the mask slipping back into place. “I found Jafar had Jay bent over the kitchen counter, clothes gone-“

“Okay,” said Ben, holding up a hand and unwilling to hear any more. “I get it. It’s what I was afraid of, anyway.” He let out a shuddering breath, the tears from earlier pressing back against his eyelids. “Christ, I can’t-“ He wiped at his face, feeling vastly overwhelmed. He knew in his heart that it was his fault and the fault of his parents that Jay had been subjected to that. “Freddie said it’s common. Rape.”

“It is.” Evie whispered, voice small.

Ben whirled on her, heart in his throat. “Not you, too-“

Evie huffed out a breath, her eyes suspiciously shiny as she said, “No. Grimhilde kept me protected. Didn’t want me ‘spoiled’ for my future prince.” She laughed bitterly, pressing at the corners of her eyes.

Mal lifted Evie’s hand to her lips and said, “I’m glad she kept you safe.”

“And you, Mal?” Ben asked, not sure if he truly wanted an answer. He hated hearing about the atrocities that had gone unchecked on the Isle, but at the same time, it was his duty as King to be aware of them. To _know_ was the least he could do. He had left them there to suffer after all.

“I thankfully never got dealt that particular hand,” Mal said, still holding on to Evie. “Maleficent was without a doubt the Queen of the Isle, and she didn’t let anyone near me. People were too scared of her and her reputation of what she did to people who touched her property. And later they learned to fear me.” She chewed her lip. “One time when I was little, she sent me out to the Market on my own, which was unusual. She normally sent me with at least two of her henchmen to keep away the riffraff. I was approached by Mr. Sykes. He trapped me behind some stalls and felt under my shirt, tried to undo my pants. I was so scared that I froze up, but when I came to my senses I managed to get away from him. When I went home, Maleficent already knew about it. She had one of her henchmen break my arm for letting him get so close and locked me in the cellar for two days, no food or water, in complete darkness.” She held out her left arm and showed Ben a small distended bump just under her elbow, where the bone had not been set properly before it healed. “She let me out of course. A few days later I was back at the Market, and what did I find? Mr. Sykes strapped to the scaffolding of one of the warehouses, stripped naked and beaten half to death, my mother’s insignia carved into his chest.” At Ben’s horrified expression, she said, “It’s not like he died or anything. The lucky little curse that Fairy Godmother was so kind to bestow upon us made sure of that.”

Ben rested his elbows on his knees, mind churning. If only his father were here, if only he cared enough to get to know Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Then he would realize what he had done all those years ago. Ben resolved to show him. Somehow. He would make sure that every single one of the heroes who had signed the accords knew what they had created. That the kings and queens, princes and princesses, who vowed to protect the citizens and the land, would know exactly how good their word was. When they condemned the villains to the Isle they had patted themselves on the back, congratulated each other for their cleverness. They had locked away the evil of the land, after all. No more would they be plagued by villains. Yet they had inadvertently created a prison where people, guilty and innocent alike, suffered to no end.

 _Some kind of heroes we are_ , Ben thought bitterly. His mouth tasted foul.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. Across the room, Diego de Vil murmured something in his sleep. “I think my parents were wrong to have made the Isle of the Lost. They could have chosen another way.”

Mal shrugged at the same time Evie said, “The decision had nothing to do with you, Ben. Don’t feel guilty about something you had no control over. You weren’t even born yet.”

“That’s no excuse,” Ben argued, angry despite being more tired than he ever had been in his life. “I should have done something years ago. I _could_ have-“

“What could you have done?” Mal interrupted, eyes flinty. “You’re seventeen. You’re a kid. The mantle of King shouldn’t even be yours, no offense. You’re not to blame for what you didn’t know about. You and all the kids your age have been sheltered since birth. But Beast and Belle? They should know. Belle especially. She dealt first hand with Gaston. Gaston likes to boast that you’re his son. Now, why would he say that? He’s not one to lie.”

Ben tried not to think about the implications of her statement. He knew, logically, it wasn’t possible. Hands shaking, he groaned, “Still. _Someone_ should have done something sooner. Someone had to guess what was happening-“

“If you stay caught in how’s things might have been, you’ll never move on,” said Evie softly. She wrapped one arm around Ben and disconnected her hand from Mal’s to wipe at his face. He hadn’t realized he was crying. Feeling foolish, he attempted to draw away, but Evie held him closer, grip stronger than he would have thought. “You are not to blame for the lives we’ve led. _You are not to blame._ The best you can do now is help us get...help us get home. Then you, as King, can fix everything the fuck up adults did before you.”

Ben nodded, taking solace in the warmth of her arms around him. Mal rubbed his shoulder in an attempt at helping. She smiled awkwardly at him. “It’s going to be fine, Ben. We’ve managed to survive so far. And once we’re back in Auradon, you can make sure something gets done to help the others who are still here. I will help you every step of the way if I can.”

“Thank you,” Ben murmured, voice thick with unshed tears. He leaned away from Evie and took a deep breath. “Can I...can I step outside for a moment? I need some air.”

Evie and Mal shared uneasy looks but Mal said, “If you stay on the scaffolding inside the gate. No one should be able to recognize you out there, it’ll be too dark under the awning. Just.. _.don't_ go outside the gate.”

Ben nodded and slid off the bed. He passed Diego, who appeared asleep, as well as Jay and Carlos, who definitely were asleep. As he descended the stairs, Ben took a few moments to stand in the doorway of Jay’s and Carlos’s shared floor on the second level. From the door, he could distinctly see the two boys’ personalities in the room decor. Jay’s side was neat, albeit cluttered, an impressive amount of shelves lining almost the whole hall. Trinkets and tools and items not dissimilar to those in Auradon antique stores filled the shelves, things that most people probably did not want or couldn’t use. On Carlos’s side, everything from his bed to his workbench was impeccable. Tools were hanging from the walls, their outlines traced in pencil to show where they went. Books lined the workbench’s top, pressed against the wall in size order. Ben could see maps, some of Auradon and the surrounding countries, some hand-drawn ones of the Isle had been flattened out across the workbench’s top.

His heart hurt looking at the space but Ben was glad that his friends had been fortunate enough to create their own world to get away in. He was grateful that they had found each other.

Continuing up the stairs, Ben trailed his fingers across the painted concrete walls, the thick black thorns rough beneath his touch. The walls were roughly constructed, their make bespeaking a time from long ago.

He knew the stories, how after the heroes drafted the accords and all of the royal armies across the kingdoms began rounding up the villains in preparation, King Adam had gone to King Triton. Adam had requested that Triton unite the merkingdoms in the single purpose of assisting Merlin and Yen Sid in the removal and relocation of the furthermost south corner of Auradon. The two great wizards had carved a piece from a failing industrial city on the coast, the effort nearly killing them both. The merpeople and Triton, as well as the other Lords of the sea, had helped to push the separate landmass far, far out into the ocean.

Ben had never quite believed that story, though it was an official part of Auradon’s history that he had been taught since birth. It was too clean, too good to be true. Too easy. But that seemed to be how all of the ‘official’ heroes’ stories were.

Ducking through the front door of the warehouse, Ben stepped out onto the scaffolding, the cloudy sky blocking out the moon. It was nearly pitch black, save for a single lantern at street level a block over, the oil sputtering weakly. Ben touched his hand to his face, forefinger feeling the cut he had received from the thorns outside of Evie’s castle. Evie had offered him the poultice, telling him the mixture would cure his head wounds if he put a bit on his tongue, but Ben had turned it away. It was the worst he had been injured in his life, save the time he’d been thrown from his horse during a riding lesson.

He wanted to remember the pain. It reminded him he hadn’t imagined anything from the past few days. It was the only thing that kept him sane.

Ben inhaled the permanently stale air, his lungs filling with the scent of decay and mold. On his exhale, he thought he heard scuffling down below. He leaned over the rail of the scaffolding, searching for the source of the noise, but jerked upright when two streets over a young man was thrown into a brick wall. His attackers delivered swift kicks to his stomach, the man’s grunts filling the night.

Ben hurried down the stairs and threw open the gate, yelling, “Stop! Get off of him-“

The attackers turned and fled, the man on ground slowly uncurling as Ben sprinted towards him. He extended his hand to the man, helping him rise to his feet. The man had a surprisingly boyish face, long dirty-blonde hair tied back and stuffed beneath a bandana.

“Hey, thanks, that was cool of you.” The man grinned, broad jaw smudged. Ben was shocked; he sounded years younger than he looked. His exposed forearms rippled with muscle and a lingering smell of fish clung to his body.

“Didn’t you just get the daylights kicked out of you?” Ben asked, suddenly uneasy as the stranger moved without pain, his face easy and open. Ben didn’t know a lot about the Isle, but he was learning. Something was off. Years of dealing with deceitful politicians and Janus-faced royals told him something was wrong.

The boy’s face fell. “Oh, um yeah, you’re right, I did!” He grimaced and clutched his side, a ridiculously fake delayed reaction.

Ben stepped away from him, intending to run back to the warehouse if he could, but a musty bag was thrown over his head, a hand clamped firmly over his mouth. Ben yelled and thrashed desperately, but the bag cinched tightly, the drawstring cutting off his air. He choked, clawing at his throat. He was thrown over a shoulder, the air further knocked out of him. The body beneath him was solid and warm, the bones of his kidnapper’s shoulder sharp in Ben’s stomach. Voices all around him snickered and jeered, then he had a half second of warning of other feet moving before the person carrying him took off at a dead run. Ben was jostled hard and he coughed, fingers tearing at the drawstring bag.

His kidnappers maneuvered through the streets easily, their pace never slowing. Despite being the dead of night, Ben was overwhelmed by the cacophony of the restless Isle; screeching cats, rats’ skittering claws against drain pipes and concrete gutters, rustling leaves and trash scratching the pavement, slamming doors and screaming behind thin walls, meaty smacks of flesh hitting flesh and groans of pain, demented whispers and half concocted plans of escape. He tried to calm himself by remembering their path: _left, right, straight possibly two blocks, right-_

Ben was briefly distracted as his kidnappers slammed to a halt, Ben’s chin knocking into someone’s boney spine. His head and jaw ached but he refused to make a sound. His throat was tight, his breath wheezing in and out of his panicked lungs. Hands were on him and he fell for a split second before his body slammed into the pavement. Stars exploded behind his eyelids and he groaned, finding it hard to breathe. He distantly heard seagulls and more laughter from his attackers. Cold hands grabbed his ankles, dragging him backward, catcalls and harsh laughter filling his ears.

Ben tried to roll and twist out the hands’ grip but he was only dragged across the ground, the pavement giving way to another surface equally as hard. His shirt rode up his torso as the ground passed beneath him and Ben shouted as splinters bit into his skin. The surface beneath him shook and swayed, crashing waves and a spray of salty water coated his flailing arms. He latched onto what felt like rough-hewn rope but a thick boot came down his fist, Ben crying out as the fine bones of his right hand were crushed.

Ben was released suddenly and he lurched upright, ripping at the sack on his head. He got it off and inhaled a lungful of seaweed-rank air, his eyes unfocused in the darkness. Moving shapes danced on the edges of his vision and he broke into coughs, throat screaming. He held his broken hand to his chest and stumbled in a circle, eyes searching for light. Laughter assaulted his ears, crude voices jeering.

A tall gangly boy emerged from the darkness, a lantern held above his head. Around him, a crowd followed, fanning out around Ben. The boy’s sinewy arms were pale and a thick accent clouded his words. He spit a series of mangled words out at Ben, but Ben could only croak, “ _What_?”

“Harry!” An authoritative voice cracked throught the clamor. “Back off. Let me get a good look at him.”

Harry Hook stepped back but his cutting gaze never once left Ben’s. He grinned, canines bared like a wild animal. His tongue traced along his lower lip as he stared at Ben and another, smaller figure stepped through a part in the forming crowd surrounding Ben.

It was a girl, her face young but eyes abrasive. Her skin was darker than Freddie’s, her hair tightly woven aquamarine braids. She held herself like a true ruler.

Someone kicked the back of Ben’s knees and he dropped to the ground. The girl approached him and threaded her fingers through his hair; she craned his head back to look him in the eye, Ben struggling to swallow as his throat arched uncomfortably. She grinned, eyes alight.

“ _Finally_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also once again completely unbeta’d so mistakes are my own. Feedback is amazing and I love hearing people’s ideas! Also don’t be afraid to ask any questions. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @ alloftheseships


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter contains attempted sexual assault, graphic depictions of violence, attempted torture, and talk about torture

The girl’s fist in his hair twisted and threw Ben face down onto the deck. Ben cried out as he tried to catch himself, thoughtlessly, with his broken hand. He pulled himself back up into a sitting position, holding his right hand to his chest. His fingers were numb, the bones aching so badly Ben wanted to scream any time he accidentally moved them.

The girl stood over him, her sharp gaze boring a hole in Ben’s skull.

“What do you want from me?” Ben asked hoarsely. It felt like his throat had been raw for days.

The girl laughed, her companions following her lead. Their snickering jeers crawled up Ben’s spine and he shivered. “‘ _What do you want from me?_ ’” The girl sniveled in a high-pitched, mocking tone. Ben flushed as the crowd laughed harder. The girl smirked at him, calculating and dangerous. She turned to her companions. “He wants to know what we want!”

Shouting broke out, voices screaming at him from all angles:

“ _Freedom!”_ _  
_

_“Beast’s head on a spike!”_ _  
_

_“Revenge!”_ _  
_

_“Death for the traitors!”_ _  
_

_“To see Auradon burn!”_

Booted feet clambered on the wooden deck, the stomping echoing in Ben’s head like a hammer striking an anvil. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, the voices rising around him.

The girl’s voice once again broke through the clamor; “ _Enough!”_  The night immediately fell silent and Ben gratefully opened his eyes. “Get out of here! I want our turf well patrolled tonight. No one is getting through to save you, King.” Chuckles drifted through the air after the crowd, all aimed at Ben. Only Harry Hook remained behind, his darkly rimmed eyes bright as he stared with abandon.

The girl stalked across what Ben could now see was a ship deck. Without the crowd surrounding him, Ben could clearly see the smooth wood planks that he was kneeling upon stretched out on all sides, halting at a wood railing. Ropes and pulleys flew through the air, disappearing into the darkness. Unused canons littered the deck, rust flaking off around them. The ring of hazy light that Harry’s lantern provided shrank as the pirate set it atop a second level of the ship’s flooring, which the girl was perched on. She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as Harry took a seat behind her atop a barrel. The lip of the barrel was smoothed down into a low crescent, dark red stains soaking the wood beneath the worn hollow.

Ben could only imagine what that was from.

Angry and tired, Ben jerked his chin towards Harry. “He your dog?”

Harry cackled, hands flexing. He didn’t respond, only ran his tongue along his lower lip again. Ben was unnerved and kept his eyes on Harry as the girl answered, “You’ll show him respect. He’s my first mate.”

Now Ben laughed. “He’s a fucking child rapist!”

The girl’s eyes narrowed. She growled sarcastically, “Didn’t know the King of Auradon had such a _potty_ mouth.”

Ben glared at her. “It’s been a long day.”

Behind the girl, Harry unsheathed his sword and produced a whetstone from his back pocket. “The little Beast has been hanging around Mal too much.” He stroked the length of the sword with the stone, a metallic _shing_ screeching against Ben’s eardrums.

“Who are you?” Ben demanded, glaring at the girl in front of him. He raked his memory of all of the villains he had seen in the history books; this girl shared no resemblance with anyone he could remember.

“Uma, daughter of Ursula.” The girl said shortly. The words didn’t spark Ben’s memory. She reclined against the steering wheel of the ship, the wood behind her back smooth. She sat with her arms crossed, knees spread like a man’s. The action was unabashedly confident, Uma completely at ease. She was without a doubt the one in control.

“And you condone people like him,” Ben threw Harry an eyeful of daggers, who blew him a kiss, “being in your crew?”

Uma flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t condone anyone. They are free to do as they please when not aboard my vessel.” She gestured with her hands to the air around them. “It's a cruel world we live in and this place makes villains of us all. You either become the monsters under the bed or you fall victim to them. I’m no dictator: my people make their own decisions. Who am I to tell them what they can and cannot do?”

Ben scoffed and shook his head. There was no reasoning with someone so set in their ways that they had convinced themselves they were the hero in their own story.

Behind Uma, Harry stroked his sword with the whetstone, hands focused but his eyes roaming across Ben and Uma before him. Ben growled, “Mal makes it seem like all of you villains’ kids are out here struggling to survive and do nothing else. I somehow got to thinking maybe all of the kids still here needed to be liberated. But some of you are just as bad as your parents.” He shifted on his knees, joints creaking. “What do you want with me?”

Uma’s smile was wry. “Take a wild guess.”

“I don’t care to play games,” Ben spat. “If you want off the Isle, know that you’re never going to get out of here. Not while I’m alive.”

“If it’s death you want, that can be arranged.” Harry drawled, his accent and lazy tone unconcerned with the situation at hand. Ben got the feeling Harry didn’t care one way or another if he was freed from the Isle; he thrived in his environment as it was.

“No, it can’t be.” Ben laughed suddenly, tired and fed up with being someone’s prisoner. He’d been captured twice in 24 hours and felt like shit. “You can’t kill me. Beat me all you want, torture me. It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re right to guess that I want out of here.” Uma said softly. Her gaze traced over Ben’s form, her muscles tense despite her relaxed sprawl. “But I don’t need to threaten your life or torture you. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“What do you mean?”

Uma rolled her eyes, sighing heavily like Ben was an idiot. “I’m not about to go begging for an audience with your parents, little Beast. They’ll come to me. Or,” Her eyes glinted in the lantern light. “Mal and the others will.”

Ben stiffened. “They would never-“

“Help me off the Isle.” Finished Uma blandly. “I know. But they have the trust of Auradon’s citizens. Those useless TV interviews of Mal’s beyond prove that. After she defeated Maleficent and promptly saved your royal ass, it seems she can do no wrong. Isn’t that right?”

Ben sat back on his heels, not sure who he should be more wary of:  Harry or Uma. He decided on Harry, who was still multitasking. His eyes were too bright, too wide. There was something wrong with him, Ben decided. “People have definitely latched onto her story, yeah.”

“Her story?” Uma prompted, one hand curling into a fist. Behind her, Harry set down the whetstone.

Ben swallowed. “Her tragic past and all that. Born on the Isle and raised by Maleficent, lived a hellish life here, was given a second chance, ultimately choosing goodness over her upbringing. People soak that up.”

Uma’s jaw clenched. “Just like I thought.” She looked over her shoulder to Harry. Her voice was rich with barely concealed hatred. “People love her in Auradon. They trust her. She’s the golden girl, their Lavender Queen.”

“Mmm,” Harry mused. He had put away his sword and the whetstone, his body angled towards Ben, long arms open as he stalked forward. He reminded Ben of a caged lion finally set free; erratic and uncontainable. He stopped three feet in front of the kneeling king, long white fingers gripping the hilt of his sheathed sword. “And does Mal like the idea of marrying you? Does she _like_ being fucked by a pansy such as yourself?”

Ben flushed despite himself. “We’ve never-we’re not-“

Harry’s eyes ran down Ben’s kneeling form. “Can’t get it up? Pity. I get it, though. Intimidating women can be mood dampeners.” His eyes glittered with mirth. “And Mal sure is a _spitfire.”_

“We’re not together!” Ben spat, annoyed by the embarrassed heat burning at his neck and cheeks. “Mal might’ve used a love potion on me when she first came to Auradon, but that was only to further Maleficent’s plans. After my coronation, she explained she’d never feel that way for me. It was mutual. We’re just friends.”

Harry’s eyes glinted with sadism. “So you couldn’t get it up for her even if you tried.” He grinned at Ben’s affronted expression, those canines glinting sharply.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Uma scoffed. “Assuming you’re not full of shit, Mal could use the trust of the Auradon people to get the Wand. With a flick of the wrist, she’d then free us _and_ you.”

Ben groaned, “Why do you people keep assuming I have a way off of here to begin with? Mal couldn’t get to the mainland even if she wanted to! I had a brainless moment and-“

“Don’t lie to me,” Uma suddenly surged to her feet, eyes murderous. “I’ll have Harry search you. And he’ll enjoy it much more than you will.”

Harry wiggled his eyebrows but Ben ignored him. “I’m telling the truth.”

Uma swallowed, her hands clenched into shaking fists. “Either way. Someone will come for you eventually. They’ll comply to my demands or-“

“Or what?” Ben cried, knowing the conversation was going in circles. “You literally can’t kill me!”

Uma glared at him, limbs trembling with barely contained rage. Her voice shook as she snarled, “Death is the easy way out. If you’re so soft as to think dying is the worst thing I or my crew would allow you to suffer, you’re truly naive.” She grabbed Ben’s jaw and once again craned his head back to look him in the eye. “If you want to keep pretending you don’t know the way off of the Isle, there’s a long list of things I think might motivate your thought process. Have you ever been flayed before, King? Had your skin peeled from your body? Had hot needles crammed beneath your fingernails? _Had your teeth removed one by one?_ ” Her touch to Ben’s cheekbone was feather light, tracing the thorn cut. Anger simmered in the depths of her eyes, close enough now that Ben could see how deep-rooted it was. “Ever had your stomach pumped so full of hot water your organs burst?” Uma’s eyebrows shot up as an idea occurred to her. Her grin was haunting. “Auradon is full of bullshit values: are you still a virgin?”

At the mortified look on Ben’s face, Uma let out a cold laugh that Ben would remember until the day he died. “Evil, I’d let Harry and all the others fuck you bloody if it meant your parents and everyone in Auradon could see it. If you keep _lying_ to me, I’ll let my boys get that out of the way first. After that, we’ll see what I feel like. The human body can withstand an incredible amount of trauma before it finally gives out.” Her nails dug into Ben’s cheek. “How about we see how much _you_ can hold out for.”

Ben’s pulse kicked into overdrive just as a set of footsteps clambered across the wood deck behind him.

“Captain!” It was the young man that had lured Ben away from the warehouse. “Jay and Mal have been spotted down by Eel Bay!” He paused. “I told Scram and Diggle to follow them because I thought that was what you would do. Was that alright?”

Uma straightened, braids falling across her shoulder. “That’s right, Gil. Good job.” She glared at Ben like he’d slapped her. “Say, Gil. Do you think your dad would want a crack at Belle’s son?”

‘Gil’ walked to Ben’s front, his broad jaw smudged with dirt that hadn’t been there earlier. “That would make his year. Want me to go get him?” When Uma was quiet, deep in thought, he said softly, “Ben seems nice enough. He’ll probably help us without needing to get my dad.” He looked Ben over, a childlike manner to him despite his broad figure. “That’s what good kings do, after all. You seem like a good king, even though everyone says you’re not. You took Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos to Auradon.” He gazed imploringly at Harry and Uma. “He has a good heart. I can tell.”

Harry pressed against Gil’s side, hissing, “He also left us here to _rot,_ Gilly.”

Gil’s face fell, like that hadn’t occurred to him. Uma said briskly, “Gil, why don’t you go see if Diggle and Scram were successful in finding the traitors.”

Gil rolled his eyes, grin flashing almost playfully. “I’m not stupid. You can tell me to leave so you guys can talk.”

Uma’s tone was flat; “Leave so we can talk.”

When Gil was far enough away to be out of earshot, Ben demanded, “What’s wrong with him?”

Uma took a seat on the deck in front of Ben, her ankles crossed. Harry stood behind her, a loyal sentry. Uma’s voice was frostier than Queen Elsa’s. “His father is Gaston. Gaston sometimes gets angry and lashes out at whatever is closest. He smashed Gil’s head against a concrete barrier down by the docks when Gil got in his way one day. He’s never been the same since.”

Ben sat back on his feet, his knees far past numb. It was hard to think about anything except for what Uma had threatened him with; his unbroken hand shook and he held it lower against his torso to try and hide it from Uma’s view. His stomach roiled at the thought of what Uma had in plan for him - and for the boy who had been irreparably damaged by his deranged father. Yet another casualty Ben had to atone for.

A frown pulled at Harry’s mouth as Uma spoke, looking disgruntled for the first time in their never-ending conversation. “That man will fuck anything with legs.”

Ben shuddered, thinking of Jafar.

Harry’s expression was cruel, like he knew along the lines of what Ben was thinking and took perverse joy in it. “That _would_ be different than those pearly Auradon values of yours, huh? Has your pal Jay told you what his  old man does to _him_?”

Ben nodded, nauseated just thinking about it, and Harry whooped delightedly. He spun in a circle, right hand gripping his sword hilt. He sobered in less than a second, his face morphing from gleeful to angry. “Nah, but piss off!” He shouted. Ben jumped at the sudden change. “Gaston might be a sick fuck but he’s not that sick. Not with his own kids, anyway. He beats them enough to keep them in line, but that’s it.” There was a raw, simmering anger to Harry’s voice. Ben thought with glum satisfaction that Harry had just told him all he needed to know about the boy. It seemed he did care, at least about Gil. “I make sure of that.”

Uma ran a finger along the toe of her boots as if without thought. She said flippantly, “He paid the Devil woman to have her brat scratch that particular itch.”

 _Devil woman?_ Ben thought in confusion. Then, it clicked. Throat suddenly clenched in revulsion, Ben choked, “ _Carlos?_ ”

Harry’s face darkened with glee. He seemed to like pushing Ben’s buttons. He also seemed to be able to switch moods in a matter of heartbeats. A sick grin slid across his features. “You shoulda heard the sounds he’d make. Gaston lives-“ Harry pointed in a direction Ben didn’t bother to turn towards. “-right over there. It was always a long night when the brat was around, no one ever got a wink of sleep. He was quite a fighter, but Gaston never took no for an answ-“

“How could you sit by while that happened?” Ben cried. He shook his head, exhaustion pulling at his limbs but he couldn’t give in to that yet. “No. Don’t answer that. I’m not even surprised.”

Uma’s gaze hardened and she said stiffly, “He’s not part of our crew. If Mal really was the benevolent ruler she has convinced herself she is, she would have stopped Gaston. He would have been too scared of her mother to ignore her.” She jutted her chin out. “He would have only made life for Gil and his brothers harder if _we_ stepped in for Carlos. Besides, what would you propose we have done? Barge in, protect a kid we don’t even like, or let Gaston do that and worse to one of our own?”

Ben wanted to scream _That’s exactly what you should have done!_ But there was no reasoning with the pirates. He was beginning to see that. They had only ever known one way of life and he wasn’t going to change them with one conversation.

He pleaded, “Uma, you don’t have to live this way. I can tell you only want what is best for your crew. You want to be able to sail the seas, isn’t that right? You can do that freely, but holding me hostage and threatening my life and the lives of others is not the way to accomplish that. If you let me go, I _swear_ to you-“

Uma laughed, loud and belly deep. “Now I get an invitation? Where was it all those months ago when the traitors were asked to fly the nest?” She produced a tiny switchblade from her pocket. Behind her, Harry’s jaw ticked, eyes murderous. “You don’t get to barter or try to make deals with me when you’re my prisoner. I’m getting out of here on _my_ terms.”

Ben swallowed, desperate to keep her attention. If ‘the traitors’ had been spotted near the docks then surely they were planning a rescue. Ben had to buy them time. “Uma,” he tried to reason, mindful of the knife. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. I have no idea what it’s been like for you. I get that. I have no right to presume anything about you or…” He glanced at Harry. “Your friends. But I _know_ that in Auradon you wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. You wouldn’t be barely getting by, you could have access to our Royal Fleet and the best Sailing Masters in the country. I can guarantee you’ll be tutored by the most accomplished sailors in the recent millennia. But I can’t do that if you force your way out of the Isle. It’s not up to the people of Auradon who holds the Wand: it belongs to the Fairy Godmother. FG doesn’t trust Mal to this day, she’d never let her have it.”

Uma’s expression didn’t change but Ben persisted. “Even if you do get the Wand, by bringing down the barrier, Mal would be releasing _everyone_ here. You, your crew, but also Gaston, Jafar, Cruella and all the others. _They_ were locked away for a reason. You’re young, Uma. You can still learn a different way. You can be better than your parents and stop this endless, _pointless_ cycle of violence. You don’t deserve to have been born here. And for that I’m sorry. I can’t ever undo what my parents did, but I can keep trying to help those they hurt.”

Uma stretched her legs out in front of herself, the bottom of her boots brushing Ben’s knees. He couldn’t feel their touch. “That was a nice piece of sentiment, King. Gil was right, you do have a good heart.” She licked her lips and behind her Harry turned to look towards the city, hearing something Ben didn’t. “But unfortunately for you, I’m not going to compromise. Maybe at one time, I would have. But not now. It’s been nearly two years since you took the traitors to Auradon: you’ve had plenty of time to bring more.”

Ben scrambled for something to say, but Harry said, “Uma...Ursula is waiting.”

Ben and Uma looked towards the shore, a small shack on the far side of the wharf alight from the inside. The figure of a woman stood in the doorway.

Uma groaned and got to her feet. “Stay with him, Harry.” Ben felt the blood drain from his face at the thought, but Uma growled, “And no funny business.”

Uma stomped off, leaving Harry and Ben alone.

Harry dragged a barrel forward so he could sit right in front of Ben. Ben tried to straighten, but his knees and thighs screamed in protest. He glared at Harry and angled his broken hand away from the pirate. Harry remained silent. There was a gleam in his eyes that told Ben he was not going to be the one to speak first.

Ben looked him over. “No hook?”

Harry squinted, the black around his eyes creasing. “Both of them work.” He displayed both fully functional hands to Ben. “What kind of idiot would wear a fake hook?”

Ben shook his head. “You tell me.”

Harry’s face twisted in annoyance, but he didn’t say anything. After a long moment of silence, he said, “Uma truly believes you’re the answer to our problems.”

“I’m not.”

“ _I_ know that.” Harry growled. “She still thinks we can actually get out of here.”

“Does she know how you feel?”

Harry scoffed. “Fuck no. She’s my captain. If the plan works, it works. If it doesn’t, then fuck all. I didn’t lose a damn thing.”

Ben gritted his teeth and immediately regretted it as his jaw throbbed in protest. Jafar’s punch wasn’t about to leave him alone. Ben resolved to remain silent the rest of his time with the pirates.

In front of him, Harry fiddled quietly with an old watch, the golden chain attached to his hip.

They sat in mutual silence for what felt like forever, just long enough for Ben’s eyes to begin to close. He couldn’t remember the last time he had truly slept (he didn’t like to count at Curl Up and Dye, since he’d tossed and turned in a fitful sleep, the uneven concrete floor unforgiving). Ben could hardly lift his eyelids, but he could vaguely make out Harry jumping to his feet, his attention behind Ben. Ben, exhausted and beyond tired, fell to the side, dead to the world.

 

=====

 

His sleep was beyond dreamless, and he was only awoken by someone’s insistent tugging on his arm. Ben blinked awake, confused and oddly nauseous. He was hauled upright and he groaned, stretching his legs on the deck of the ship.

A pair of familiar brown eyes gleamed down at him, bright with worry.

“Carlos?”

“Yeah, buddy.” The other boy whispered, glancing over Ben’s shoulder. His grip was tight on Ben’s forearms. Distantly, Ben wanted to mention that it hurt his hand, but he couldn't get the words out. “It’s me. Not dead. C’mon, we have to go.”

Ben stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily on Carlos, but his legs buckled as soon as he was upright. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, mind still cloudy with exhaustion. “I’ve been kneeling too long, my legs are asleep.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Carlos murmured, sounding like it totally wasn’t fine. There was yelling from the direction of the closest buildings and Carlos’s jaw clenched. “We need to move, though.”

Ben nodded and steeled his nerves. He got to his feet, finding it hard to move his legs. With Carlos’s help, he stumbled across the deck of the ship and by the time he’d made it to the rickety wooden bridge, he’d gained enough feeling back in his toes to walk on his own. He gripped the railing like his life depended on it, and he resolutely did not look at the black water below.

Carlos pressed against his back, a calming yet insistent presence that Ben was grateful for. “You’re doing great, just a little further.”

They made it across the bridge, Ben nearly knocked off his feet by the overpowering smell of fish and rotting seaweed as they crossed the docks. He held his good arm over his face and shakily walked in the direction Carlos steered him.

Carlos urged Ben toward the first row of houses, run-down shacks that had their windows knocked out and were in desperate need of a new paint job. Ben was feeling fairly good, all things considered, when a dark figure stepped around the side of one of the shacks, looming in front of him.

He took a fearful step back before his brain caught up with him and he cried, “Jay!”

The former thief grunted, “Yeah. Glad to see you’re alright.” He put a hand on Ben’s shoulder and searched his face, eyes taking in the bruises. Ben noted Jay’s own lack of injuries, thanks to the poultice no doubt. Jay seemed satisfied that there was nothing new with Ben’s face. He noted Ben’s purpling, swollen fist with a clenched jaw. All he said was, “We need to leave. Diego caused a distraction but it won’t keep Uma’s crew busy forever.”

The three boys set off at a brisk walk, Jay and Carlos anxiously checking around corners and frequently looking behind them. Ben marched between the pair, trying to move as fast as he could. He knew it was not what his friends were hoping for but it was the best he had.

Carlos, sounding even more nervous than the time he’d faced down a twenty-ton dragon, whispered, “Did they hurt you?”

Ben stepped over something indiscernible in the street. “Not too badly.”

“Just another reason to kill Harry,” Jay growled, arms coiled as tightly as a wound spring. The ever-present curse niggled at the back of Ben’s brain but he didn’t say anything.

Ben, in his pain induced stupor, wanted desperately to tell them everything he had learned from Uma and Harry. He glanced at Jay as they scurried from one alley to the next, thinking about how they hadn’t talked yet about what had happened at Hell Hall or what Ben had gleaned from Mal and Evie. He thought about Carlos and Gaston, his stomach churning.

Ben had been raised in an environment where he could talk about his problems with the people around him, could work his way out of any situation with words and phrases. He’d never needed to learn how to use his fists or a weapon because he’d never needed them. Words were his weapon of choice and he had been trained to use them from birth. Evie and Carlos were easy to talk to, and on some levels so was Mal.

But Jay was different.

Ben cared for Jay as much as he did for the other VKs but that didn’t mean Jay felt the same way, something Ben was well aware of. Ben wanted Jay to trust him, to approve of him. But he didn’t know how.

Cautiously, Ben whispered, “Guys, I know we aren’t that close but-“

“Ben, I swear to evil,“ Carlos muttered. “Do _not_ fucking go on a rant about how Uma and her wharf rats aren’t that bad or some shit.”

“No, no,” Ben grunted, shaking his head. He was surprised it didn’t hurt. “It’s not about them. It’s about Hell Hall.”

Jay immediately stiffened, his posture going rigid in front of Ben. He kept walking, pace clipped. Carlos’s hand shot out and he gripped Ben’s left elbow, eyes big and pleading. He shook his head silently, glancing anxiously at Jay.

Ben swallowed. They could work through it. They _would_ work through it. It wasn’t healthy to keep things bottled up. Slowly, he started, “Jay...I’m at a loss for words. I want to-“

“Apologize?” Jay said shortly, tone curt.

“Yes,” Ben said, matter of fact. He wasn’t going to shy away from the subject. Despite the shape he was in physically, Ben willed himself to be strong. “It’s my fault that you had to live with Jafar. I’m responsible for that suffering. And I can’t ever make that up to you. I had no idea that he hurt you like he did. And I’m sorry for ever-“

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Jay said, whirling around. “I don’t want to hear another word from you. And I _don’t_ want to hear _another_ apology. All you’ve done since we got here is say ‘ _I’m sorry for thi_ s’ and ‘ _I’m sorry for that'_. It’s ridiculous! This is not your fault and I’m tired of watching you have an existential crisis. This is _not_ the place _or_ the time to have this conversation. This was my life, alright, not some sob story. It’s not as big of a deal as you’re thinking it was. You don’t need to treat me any different just because you think you know something. Besides, my _life_ is not exactly your business. You’ll know what I want you to know when _I_ decide. That’s up to me. If you really consider me your friend, you’d give me that choice.” He exhaled sharply, shoulders heaving. His raked a hand through his hair and Ben noticed for the first time he was without his beanie.

“Jay…” Carlos said softly, staring at the other boy.

Jay shook his head. “I’m not doing this right now. Our safety is more important.” He took off, Carlos and Ben following after sharing a look. Ben felt chastised, the most he’d ever heard Jay say in one setting taking root deep in his chest and niggling at his heart. _Was_ he too apologetic? He didn’t know. He hoped he hadn’t lost any friendship he may have had with Jay trying to repent for the sins of both their fathers. Trying not to let it bother him, Ben ran along behind his friends, the feeling in his legs almost completely returned. His hand throbbed with every jostle of his steps but he ignored it.

“What kind of distraction did Diego come up with?” Carlos asked Jay as they moved through the streets. Ben couldn’t see where they were going, but he trusted his friends to know the path.

Jay still sounded irritated as he said, “Something Cruella would be proud of.”

Ben knew without a doubt that Uma was too smart to leave him alone. And Harry had been the last person Ben remembered before he’d literally passed out. What had been done that it would draw the attention of Uma’s entire crew?

Jay led Ben and Carlos through several alleys, the path twisting and doubling back so many times that Ben was thoroughly lost. He couldn’t hear seagulls or smell the rotting seaweed anymore so he could only hope that they were headed back to the warehouse.

The three boys were squeezed between two buildings when Jay suddenly froze. “C, do you hear that?”

Behind Ben, Carlos grunted, “Hear what?”

But Jay didn’t have to answer: voices drifted through the early morning air, one in particular thickly accented and angry.

“Fuck,” Jay panted, turning. “It’s Harry! Go back, go back.”

There was a brief moment of struggle as Carlos tried to turn but he stopped still in his tracks. “Jay, I think-”

Gil’s friendly face appeared at the opening that Ben, Carlos, and Jay had just squeezed through. He grinned at them and then yelled over his shoulder, “Hey guys! I found them!”

 

========

 

Ben’s knees once again hit the deck of the ship and he winced. One of Harry’s hands was on the back of his neck, forcing him down, and the pirate leaned over his shoulder to croon, “Thought you could get away so easily, is that right, darling?”

Next to Ben, Jay snarled, “Get your fucking hands off him, Harry!”

Harry laughed, grip tightening. Every touch of his fingers made Ben’s stomach twist. “Or what?”

Jay did not get time to reply before Uma shoved through the crowd of pirates. Ben had a flash of déjà vu, remembering the night before with startling clarity. Only now, Jay was on his left, Carlos on his right. They were back on the main deck of the ship, a horde of enraged pirates surrounding them. Ben thought it was more than he had faced off last night, though perhaps he just hadn’t been able to see them in the darkness. Light from the rising sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, a tiny speck in the far distance telling Ben that Auradon was not far away.

He ached to be home.

Uma glared at the three boys on her deck and looked accusingly at Harry. “Did you find the upstart responsible for the fire?”

Harry released Ben and grabbed a handful of Carlos’s hair, baring his face to Uma. “We got the idiot’s cousin. He was trying to help this one,” He pointed at Ben. “Escape.”

Uma shook her head. “But not Diego.” She breathed out, chest heaving in anger. She visibly composed herself and said calmly, “Three is better than none, I suppose.”

Carlos spat, “Mal won’t let you keep us. She’ll be after you until the day she dies if you lay a finger on any one of us.”

Harry snarled and threw Carlos face first onto the deck, kicking him in the ribs. Jay yelled and started to rise to his feet, but another pirate punched him across the temple. Jay shook his head, dazed, and Ben stared helplessly up at Uma.

“Remember what I said, Uma,” Ben implored, only speaking to her. “You can be better than this.”

Uma’s nostrils flared. Anger was crawling back into her voice as she growled out, “You’re saying that just to save your own skin!” She looked to her crew, stature small but the confidence and authority in her tone making her seem miles taller. “This is the child that Auradon threw their responsibilities onto! The Boy King that they’ve decided can run their country!” The crowd chuckled and Uma snarled, “But we aren’t going to wait for him to decide that we’re good enough for Auradon. We will find our own freedom!”

The cheering of the crowd was deafening, and Ben looked desperately at Jay. The other boy only shook his head, skin around his eyes tight.

Uma’s eyes were dark pools of self-righteous fury, a fury that Ben could not deny her. She cried, “He decides whether we live or whether we continue to eek out an existence here! He’s even tried to barter with me. ‘You can be better than your parents’, is what he told me.” She crouched in front of Ben, her ruthless energy seeping into his bones. “But I think it is _you_ who will have to be better than your parents, Ben. And if not in the sense that you uphold your pearly white Auradon values by handpicking those who you free, then in the sense that you will release people who have been wrongly imprisoned their entire lives. Whether we deserve freedom or not, we _will_ have it. I will do whatever it takes to get myself and those loyal to me out of here, Boy King. It doesn’t matter if that means releasing our parents too. The world is big. And I think all of us here learned how to hide from those with whom we share blood long ago.” She stood, back ramrod straight. “If I have to convince you, that’s fine. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Uma,” Ben pleaded. “I told you already; the Fairy Godmother would never give the wand to Mal, and I don’t have a way off of the Isle! I’m not lying, I swear to you!”

She looked at two pirates at the front of the crowd and nodded. The two surged forward, one grabbing Carlos off of the ground. He grunted, holding his ribs, as the two held him upright, both so tall that his booted toes barely brushed the deck. Carlos cried, “What are you doing?”

Uma did not look at him, only stared at Ben as she said coldly, “If the Boy King wishes to continue playing dumb, maybe he’ll give me an answer when we start threatening those he loves. Remember what we talked about, Ben?” Ben’s blood ran cold as he recalled all she had threatened him with. “The human body can withstand an incredible amount of trauma before it gives out. How much do you think your friends are going to be willing to take before you start talking?”

“Please, Uma, don’t do this-” Ben cried but she slapped him, hand cracking against his unbruised cheek.

“ _Talk_ and I won’t have to.” She snarled, long-held rage boiling in her eyes.

Jay said hotly, “Ben isn’t a liar, Uma. And _I_ know you. You’re not the kind of person to hurt others without cause. I understand that Mal and I may have wronged you years ago, but please, don’t hurt Carlos for what we did. He’s never done anything against your crew. I don’t know what Ben meant when he mentioned FG’s wand, but if you’re planning to use that to escape, it won’t work.”

Uma glared at him and Harry Hook groaned, “Can’t we get on with it, Captain? They’re stalling!” The two holding Carlos impatiently nodded, Carlos’s eyes wide. He struggled in their grip, but the two only held him tighter.

The crowd gathered mumbled impatiently and Ben spotted an unsure Gil in the horde. He looked confused. “Uma...we can’t...I thought you said if we found them again we wouldn’t hurt them?”

Snickers ran through the crowd and Uma’s jaw clenched. “Gil. Our lives will never change unless the Boy King decides to work with us or tells us how to accomplish our own goals. This is the only way.”

Gil’s face stiffened, and he looked angry. “So you lied to me?”

Harry went to him, gripped his forearm and said, “Why don’t you go home, Gilly?”

Gil shook him off and said, “No, I won’t. Maybe the King has to talk somehow, but not like this. It’s wrong. You two-” He pointed accusingly at Uma and Harry, “-always tell me how my dad treats me is wrong. And now you’re both acting like him.”

Ben glanced at Uma just in time to see her mask crack minutely. She faltered, but Harry ignored the plaintive tone of Gil’s voice. “Get below deck, now.” Gil stared at him, betrayed. “You don’t want to see this.”

Gil shook his head sadly but he obeyed. The crowd parted for him, the faces of the pirates not at all sympathetic. The air was a sea of sweat and filthy clothes and rank, rotting fish from the harbor. Worse than that was the unifying expressions on the pirates' faces; exhaustion, hunger. A thirst for revenge. A hollowness to their eyes that would keep Ben awake for weeks.

Ben swallowed. “Uma, you’re not wrong when you say that this is all my fault. I only started to fix what my parents did when I was in the position to do so; but I could have tried years ago. Anyone in Auradon could have petitioned for change. But I was the Crown Prince. I _should_ have. And that makes me responsible.” He ignored the sick fear that was attempting to crawl up his throat. “So don’t hurt Carlos or Jay. Please. Do whatever you want to me, but not them.”

“Ben, shut the fuck up,” Jay warned him.

Carlos jerked in his captor’s arms, his feet kicking, and he cried, “Ben, stop trying to be a  martyr!” One of the pirates holding him clamped a hand over his mouth. His eyes were bright with anger as he glared at Ben.

Uma appeared to be over her moment of hesitation. “How sweet. The traitors seem to have adopted feelings for you.” She chewed her lip for a moment and at her silence the gathered pirates once again began to clamor for her to make a decision. Their voices rose into a roar, raising the hair on Ben’s arms. She lifted both of her hands high into the air and the yelling stopped. “Scram, Diggle.” The two holding Carlos straightened, eyes hungry. “Take him below deck.” She pointed to a few people in the crowd. “You four. Go with them. Do what you please.”

Carlos’s eyes widened further and he thrashed in earnest as Scram and Diggle hauled him backward. He managed to punch one of the pirates in the nose, and blood sprayed, the pirate dropping to his knees with a shout. With one arm free, Carlos kicked the second pirate between the legs: he too dropped, but one shout from Uma had half of the crew surging towards Carlos. Jay and Ben leaped to their feet to help him, but Ben went crashing to the deck as someone kicked his legs out from under him. He cried out as his broken hand was trapped beneath his body and the deck. From where he lay, he could see Jay being dragged back by Harry and a blonde female pirate. Carlos had disappeared, and the satisfied roar of the gathered crew was deafening.

Through the wood pressed against his ear, Ben thought he could hear him screaming.

Jay slammed his head back into Harry’s nose, causing blood to start gushing down the boy’s face. Harry shouted something indiscernible and the blonde girl grabbed a fistful of Jay’s hair, pulling him down. Ben struggled to rise as he saw Jay’s face twisted with panic and pain, the girl dragging him down to the deck. Ben tried to push himself upright, but a boot on the center of his back shoved him flat. He bit back a scream as his hand was once again pinned between himself and the unforgiving wood. The surrealness of his situation struck him harder than Jafar ever had. He couldn’t find it in himself to move. He had to remind himself to breathe because the panic was starting to set its claws in him. His ears were ringing, the sound of Carlos’s enraged screams pounding against the center of his forehead like a migraine.

He glimpsed Jay’s outraged face disappearing through the same door in the floor of the ship that he assumed Carlos had gone through. Shouting from both Jay and the pirates who had corralled him down the stairs reached Ben’s ears and it was hard to keep his breathing calm. A pair of clunky shoes blocked his line of sight and Uma said to Ben, “You can stop this, Ben. They’ll do all I mentioned earlier and more to both of your friends unless you-”

“ _Uma!”_

A hush fell over the pirates and Ben had the brief thought that he truly had gone crazy.

Then, again, Mal’s voice shouted, “Uma! Come out and face me!”

The remaining pirates turned toward the docks, parting for Uma as she went to the railing of her ship. Harry’s eyes were murderous as he gazed over the top of Uma’s head. Blood was still flowing freely down his face and dripping from his chin to the deck. Ben nearly cried in relief as Uma said, “Well, well, well. The most traitorous of them all, come to bargain.”

Ben could hear the rage in Mal’s voice. “You look better than you used to, Uma. Seems that taking over my turf has been good for you.”

Uma shrugged, her attention fixed on Mal far below. Ben was still held immobile on the deck but he could only pray that Mal had some sort of plan. He hoped that Evie was with her. No one could stop the two of them.

Uma said loudly, “Is that what you came here for? To compliment me?” She knew exactly why Mal was there. She was gloating and Ben had no doubt it was going to drive Mal crazy. _No one_ took Mal’s things.

“You know what I’m here for, Uma.” Mal’s voice was icy. “Don’t play games with me, wharf rat.”

The pirate crew grumbled, offended on behalf of their captain. Uma held up a hand. “Pay her no mind. She’s been outsmarted for the first time in her life. Let her throw a fit.” The crew laughed and Ben could feel Mal’s rising temper even through the deck of the ship.

“Where’s Ben?”

Uma’s voice was rich with self-satisfaction. “I think you should be asking ‘Where’s Jay and Carlos?’”

Mal was quiet for a long time and Ben could imagine her struggling to keep her temper in check.

The pirate crew apparently sensed her dilemma as well and they broke out into crude laughter. Uma snapped her fingers at the pirate who had Ben pinned on his stomach; the pirate hauled him to his feet and dragged him to the railing of the ship.

Fifty feet away, Mal stood in all of her righteous glory. From her head to her toes she radiated anger. Her hands were on her hips yet her expression barely changed when she saw Ben. Evie was not with her. He knew he looked rough but Mal hardly spared him a single glance. All business, she demanded, “Now, where are Jay and Carlos? I _know_ you have them too.”

Uma gripped the railing and leaned back, a haughty smirk gracing her lips. The pirate released Ben and Harry Hook gripped his shoulders in their place. He was taller than Ben, and he ducked his head to run his tongue along the helix of Ben’s ear, his chuckle at Ben’s discomfort too close to escape. Ben grunted and jerked away from him. Mal’s eyes turned dark with rage. Uma called to her, “Don’t worry about them. They are being well taken care of as we speak.”

Mal’s composure dropped for a second, her lips parting. Several members of the crew jeered, their laughter scorching through the space between Mal and the ship. Outrage quickly replaced her shock and Mal swore, “Uma, so help me. If any harm comes to them, God himself won’t be able to save you from my wrath.”

Uma grinned. “God himself won’t be able to stop me.”

Mal looked like she wanted to scream in fury but Ben’s attention to her was drawn away as he glimpsed a brief flash of light from the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look, but the light had vanished as quickly as it had come.

Uma’s voice brought him back to his current predicament. She said to Harry, “Take the Boy King down to the others.” She glared across the wharf at Mal. “It’s time Mal and I have a little talk.”

Ben’s heart dropped to his feet and he glimpsed panic start to creep onto Mal’s face. Harry whisked him away and Ben dragged his feet on the deck in an effort to slow him down. Harry’s face twisted angrily but he said nothing, only grabbed Ben’s right hand causing Ben to scream, and hauled him down the small set of stairs that led into the bowels of the ship. Harry did not release Ben until they were in the darkness of the hull. Below deck, the air was rank with mildew and rotting wood, a staleness that made Ben’s lungs clench. Ben could distantly hear Mal and Uma yelling at each other, but Ben was only concerned with trying to get his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

The hull of the ship was small, but not so small that Ben could see the entirety of it. Ben gasped as he glimpsed Carlos strapped to a pillar that supported the main deck. His shirt was gone and his face was bloody, left eye rapidly swelling. He was panting, sweat matting his curls to his forehead. Red burns that resembled stretched out triangles decorated his torso and Ben glimpsed a pirate sitting down in front of Carlos, heating her knife to a glowing cherry red using the flame of a lamp.

She pressed the glowing knife flat side against Carlos’s right shoulder and his screams were so loud Ben had to close his eyes.

“Harry, please, stop this!” Ben cried finally. The broken bones of his hand ground together in Harry’s grip and Ben tried not to scream. His voice shook as he pleaded, “Convince Uma her plan will never work! You know it won’t, you said so yourself. Why should anyone have to suffer for an unjust cause?”

Harry’s face twinged, eyes alight with hate as he twisted Ben’s hand harder. Ben’s eyes filled with tears and Harry cackled, “A little _suffering_ never hurt anybody!”

Carlos blearily lifted his head at the sound of Ben’s voice. Harry laughed at the horrified look on Ben’s face before starting to drag him further into the ship.

Ben knocked his head on a low hanging beam and stumbled; Harry grunted under his breath and growled impatiently, “Keep up, Boy King. Can’t get started until you’re there.”

Ben had no idea what he meant but he couldn’t find the breath to answer him. His hand hurt so badly Ben wanted to throw up and he prayed that Mal could work something out with Uma quickly, for Carlos and Jay if not for himself. He prayed that Evie was somewhere safe.

Harry led the way down a cramped hallway, the swaying of the ship making Ben nauseous. He barged through a door and shoved into a surprisingly wide office space. There was a huge desk that was cluttered with maps, compasses, and dusty books, as well as a bed, shoved into one corner of the room. Huge windows that faced over the water of the bay allowed in enough light that Ben could see the whole room clearly. He blinked rapidly in the sudden brightness.

Across the room, three pirates were waiting with Jay. Jay was on his knees, hair askew and his lower lip bleeding. Oddly, his boots were missing, his feet bare against the floor. His jacket was gone and he remained in his thin black shirt, the serpent tattoo on his arm rippling as he attempted to break the hold of one of the pirates fruitlessly.

Harry shoved Ben to stand in the middle of the room, and one of the pirates dragged him closer to push him down into the chair at the desk. Ben’s back hit the leather and he grunted as the splinters still in his skin dug in a little deeper. In front of him, Jay’s eyes followed Harry across the room.

Harry stood in front of Jay, his grin stretching his cheeks. “What’s something you fear the most, Jay?”

Ben’s brows furrowed but Jay said, “I’m not playing this game with you, Harry. Get on with whatever it is you’re planning.”

Harry gripped Jay’s jaw and tilted his head back. He purred, “If you insist, old friend.”

Jay jerked away from Harry, breathing heavy in his anger. The pirate who had forced Ben into the chair held down Ben’s shoulders when Ben started to rise. Harry’s eyes slid across the room to glare at him. “You’ll get your turn. Right now, Kase and Oliver are going to have their fun.” He dragged another chair across the office space to sit next to Ben, leaving Jay with the two pirates standing beside him in the center of the room.

Harry nodded to them. “Go on, lads.”

The two pirates immediately fell onto Jay; the taller of the pair gripped the sides of his face and slammed his face down onto their knee, causing Jay’s head to snap back. The other delivered a series of swift kicks to Jay’s stomach after he went down. Jay grunted, struggling to get to his feet. The shorter pirate, a young man who couldn’t have been any older than Jay himself, kicked the side of Jay’s head twice, so hard that Ben winched.

The pair backed off for a moment, Jay groaning on the floor, bleeding profusely from his nose and his lower lip. He drew his legs up but did not try to stand. Ben looked away, but Harry snarled, “You _will_ watch. Go on, Kase.”

Ben glared hatefully at him, but forced himself to look as the taller of the two pirates straddled Jay’s hips and produced a switchblade from his boot. He began cutting at Jay’s shirt, revealing the rest of the serpent tattoo that crawled across his shoulder and wove down his side then around to his back. The shorter one, Oliver, knelt behind Jay’s head and held down his arms. Ben glanced worriedly at Harry, wondering what the deranged boy had in mind, but Harry was staring with rapt attention at the scene before them.

“Get off,” Jay grunted softly, his breathing ragged. He struggled to buck off Kase but stopped abruptly as the pirate pressed the edge of the knife to Jay’s collarbone. Beads of blood ran down his skin and pooled in the hollow of his throat. Face twisting with unease, Jay shouted, “Dammit, Harry, call off this idiot!” Harry didn’t respond but Kase’s face tightened in annoyance. He leaned into the blade and Jay cried out as he drew across Jay’s chest in a blood red arch.

Somewhere in the ship, Carlos was screaming again.

Tears pulled at Ben’s eyes and Harry was quick to notice. “Something the matter, Boy King? Your soft heart not enjoying this?”

Ben breathed evenly through his nose, forcing himself to calm down. He tried to look impassive. If Harry couldn’t see how badly this was affecting him, surely he would stop talking.

But Harry pushed on even as Jay writhed on the floor, the knife drawing a low keen from deep in his chest. The sound of it hurt Ben’s heart more than anything else had so far. “You don’t like seeing people in pain, do you? I’m sure it’s the most blood you’ve ever seen in your life.” He snapped his fingers impatiently at the two pirates. Kase tossed his knife carelessly to the side and scooted back to sit on Jay’s thighs; his fingers ran down Jay’s torso to tug at the waistband of his jeans.

“Don’t do this, Harry,” Ben whispered.

“ _I’m_ not doing a damn thing.” Harry smarted back, the dried blood on his chin adding a whole other level of terrifying to his manic grin.

Jay struggled harder, managing to get his hands free from Oliver. He snatched up the knife and sliced wildly at the pirate in front of him. Oliver grabbed his throat and began choking him from behind. Jay’s grip slackened on the knife as he struggled to breathe and it dropped from his grip with a dull thud. Kase moved off of Jay long enough to pull Jay’s pants completely off of him and Ben understood with sick clarity why his shoes had been missing before. Oliver held Jay’s forearms in an iron grip, tightly pinning them to the floor above Jay’s ahead. Jay kicked his legs in an attempt to throw off Kase to no avail. Kase simply reached for his own belt and starting undoing it, watching Jay closely as a look of panic finally began to set in on the former thief’s face as he realized he was not going to escape.

Jay whipped his head to the side and yelled at Harry, “What the fuck have I ever done to you, man? You still pissed from when we were kids?” Jay panted and tried one final time to throw Kase off balance; the other boy only slammed his elbow into Jay’s stomach, driving the air out him.

“Once, you...” Harry scoffed, shaking his head. “I've always wanted to see you knocked down a peg. So, what better way is there than fucking you into the floor and letting your King watch? I know your father took pleasure in doing something similar to you, Jay,” Harry crooned, sounding immensely satisfied with himself. His white teeth were almost glowing in the dawn that illuminated light over the scene. “But I think you’ll find that having an audience makes _everything_ better.”

Ben glared up at the ceiling, the tears he had been trying to hold back finally spilling down his cheeks. Time slowed as he heard Kase’s belt clink and the pitch of Jay’s breathing changed. The pirate behind him held onto Ben’s shoulders tighter, as if he thought Ben would try to run.

There came a frantic knocking on the closed door.

Everyone in the room froze and Harry audibly grit his teeth. The pirate behind Ben stomped to the door, throwing it open.

A red-faced and out of breath Gil stood in the doorway. He barely glanced at Jay or Ben and was panting as he said, “Uma needs-Uma needs them both up on the top deck _right now_.”

Harry lunged to his feet and snarled, “ _Now_ you decide you want to work for Uma?”

Gil lifted his hands in a wordless, flustered manner that caused to Harry curse under his breath. He pointed angrily at Kase and Oliver. “Get him up. You’re coming with me, Boy King.”

Harry dragged Ben out of his seat and Ben had never been so grateful in all of his life. He nearly broke down in relieved tears as he glimpsed Kase throwing Jay’s pants back in his face. Harry and Ben followed Gil through the ship, back up to the main deck. They were followed by Kase and Oliver, both of whom kept tight grips on Jay. Jay’s shirt had been unsalvageable so Jay was shirtless as they stood on the deck, blood running down the planes of his chest.

Harry was livid as he approached Uma. “What is so important that these two could not be left down below?”

Uma was still standing at the front of the ship and her expression was smug. “Mal and I have come to an agreement.” She nodded to Mal, who was still standing at the docks. Her face was a mask of unchecked fury at the sight of blood on her friends. “Hand Jay and Carlos over.”

Harry hissed in annoyance but barked at Oliver and Kase to walk Jay to Mal; they followed their orders looking more glum than they had any right to be. Ben wished he could drown them both in the black waters below. The blonde pirate who had attacked Jay earlier pulled a dazed Carlos through the crowd gathered on the deck. His blood and sweat-drenched shirt clung to his skin, and his left eye was swollen completely shut. He stumbled on unsteady feet across the rope bridge, Ben’s heart in his throat as he willed Carlos and the pirate to cross safely.

Once Jay and Carlos were back at Mal’s side, the three pirates quickly retreated back to the ship.

Mal did not spare her companions a moment. She shouted to Uma, “You won’t regret this.”

Uma’s smirk was triumphant. “Neither will you, Mal. I’m glad we could settle our differences. Isn’t it better to know that we will soon _all_ roam this world, completely free?”

Mal nodded, eyes glowing green in the morning sun. “Oh, yes. It is.”

Ben had the crippling thought that she had done it, she had turned on him. She had done it to free Jay and Carlos. He took a shuddering breath as Uma and Harry looked at him, Uma as if she had won the lottery, Harry as if he had just had that winning ticket snatched away.

The crowd of pirates promptly ignored Mal, turning their collective backs to her. Ben’s view of the docks and of dry land vanished as the pirates surrounded him. Uma said to her crew, “Mal has agreed to go to Auradon in order to fetch Fairy Godmother’s wand. As long as we have Ben, she’ll do whatever it is we ask. Soon the barrier will be down and we can be free of this wretched place once and for all.”

The crew erupted into cheers but Ben’s heart sank. Mal had so swiftly deserted him. And now she was going to release every villain that ever lived.

He shook his head, angry. “Mal!” He yelled. “You’re making a mistake! You don’t have to do this, there is _always_ another way-”

Ben was interrupted by a blinding flash of light. The shockwave of freezing cold air that accompanied it was enough to knock Ben as well as half of the crew off of their feet. Ben hit the deck so hard that the air was knocked from his lungs; he struggled to inhale as someone lay half on top of him. An awful ringing in his ears made it impossible to hear anything.

Ben forced himself upright before the pirates could regain their bearings and he stumbled to the railing of the ship. He nearly collapsed when he saw who was standing on the docks below.

Fairy Godmother, Merlin, and the King Father stood in a loose triangle next to Mal, Jay, and Carlos, all three of whom had been knocked to the ground. The dirt around them was misplaced and blown out in a circular ten-foot radius. Bare stone winked beneath Adam’s shoes as he called desperately, “Ben?”

Ben almost broke into tears at the sound of his father’s voice. The pirates had not yet recovered their senses and many were unconscious on the ground. Ben could see Harry laying limply with a nasty looking goose egg bruise on his forehead next to a canon. Uma was starting to stir, and before anyone could stop him, Ben sprinted across the deck, over the rope bridge and threw himself into his father’s arms.

Adam held Ben like they had been separated for twenty years. “Oh, Benjamin,” The former king whispered. Ben’s hand was aching but he ignored it, only pressed his face further into his father’s chest. “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/5/19 edit: Previously a character in this chapter was named CJ, which has now been changed to Oliver (I knew that CJ Hook was a canon character yet I still named?? that background guy??? CJ??? in this??) my bad


	5. Chapter 5

“This is all very touching but we _must_ be going.”

Ben cracked an eye, spying Merlin frowning disapprovingly at the display. Ben promptly decided to ignore him. Adam did not release Ben either, and Ben murmured tiredly, his voice muffled by his father’s chest, “We can’t leave yet.”

Adam _did_ release Ben upon hearing that. He held Ben at arm's length and the look he gave him was incredulous. “What do you mean?”

Ben stepped back, the force of his blood rushing to his head nearly knocking him down. “I mean…” He swallowed, his words hard to find. He looked down at Mal, Carlos, and Jay. They were still motionless on the ground, unaware of their rescuers. He figured he had the blast to thank for that. “Evie, she’s not-“

He was interrupted by the sound of feet pounding on pavement, then the girl herself all but sprinted into the wharf. If her blue hair had been concealed, Ben would never have guessed it was her. Said hair was plastered to her face, sweat drenching her flushed skin. Evie’s lips were a small O of relieved shock when she laid eyes on who had just arrived. She stumbled to Fairy Godmother’s side, breathing so hard she couldn’t speak. Her shaking hands clasped FG’s, her whole body trembling from exertion.

FG’s expression was one of genuine concern. “Evie? Are you alright, dear? Were you the one who flashed the signal that called us here?”

Evie nodded vigorously, still too out of breath to respond. Ben recalled suddenly the first flash of light he had seen from the deck of the ship, remembered Evie’s absence from Mal’s and Uma’s negotiations. He could have kissed her for her ingenuity.

Merlin was not bothered and did not seem to want an explanation for Evie’s exhausted state. “Lord above! Is that everyone? Can we _go now_?”

With Evie present, Ben nodded. He felt ridiculously off-balance, an overwhelming sense of vertigo making him feel like he should just lay down on the ground. He wasn’t sure if it was from not having eaten anything in forever or the relief of being found by someone who wouldn’t rather gut him than shake his hand. Adam’s palm was huge on his shoulder, heavy as a brick, and Ben’s eyesight swam.

Fairy Godmother snapped her fingers twice, pointing to the VKs on the ground. “Hold on to them. Their arm or hand, something. Otherwise, they’ll be left here.”

Adam, Ben, and Evie immediately crouched, Ben’s vision going spotty as he did so. Ben latched onto Mal’s elbow and the front of Carlos’s jacket, still weighed down by his father’s hand. Adam’s other hand was gripping Jay’s other shoulder. Evie was still breathing hard through her nose but she held tightly onto Jay and FG. They formed a tentative semi-circle, the only one of their group not touching someone else being Merlin. Ben raised his eyes to Evie’s and whispered, “Thank you. Words can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am, Evie. Anything you want when we get back, you’ll have.”

Evie’s smile was small, her voice still winded. “Anything?”

Ben did not get to respond, as he was once again blinded by a thrumming white light. The oxygen was snatched from his lungs as a hot burst of air blasted down from above. His ears popped as the air vibrated around him, crackling with electricity. He was overcome by the awful falling sensation he had only ever associated with rollercoasters; it made him feel nauseous and exhilarated at the same time. He squeezed his eyes shut, stomach in his throat.

Only seconds later, Ben’s feet touched solid ground and he immediately collapsed, head knocking against someone’s leg. All of the air had been knocked from his chest and he struggled to inhale. He dazedly realized the leg was Evie’s even though he couldn’t lift his head up. His pulse was hammering in his ears and his eyesight was dancing with tiny bright spots of after-flash.

Adam was leaning over him. “Ben? Ben, are you alright?” When Ben didn’t - couldn’t - answer Adam asked, his voice rising an octave in worry, “What’s wrong with them?”

Ben could just see Merlin in his peripheral vision. The old wizard was sitting on a log not far away, checking what looked like a cell phone. “Shock, no doubt.”

“Shock?”

FG snorted. Ben couldn’t see her. “Please, Adam. Look at them! They’re in an awful state and that travel blast didn’t do their health any favors. How far is Sweet’s team?”

Ben tried to roll over but couldn’t lift his arms. He was distantly aware of his broken hand, but it was only a flicker of pain in the back of his mind. It was as if his head was stuck under water, all of his senses muffled. Evie was motionless beside him, the other VKs out of his line of sight.

Merlin grumbled irritably, “Five minutes out.”

Adam sounded confused. “Joshua Sweet? Why would you call him? They need a hospital, not Atlantis-”

“When I saw Evie’s signal, I knew immediately something was wrong. Only someone from Auradon would have known how to call for help. That was so far buried in history books that I’d almost forgotten. After calling Merlin, I called Joshua. He’s a specialist in magical injuries, not to mention he’s great with children. He’s on his way here.”

“You couldn’t have called Doctor von Drake or Keketa? They at least live in Auradon. Atlantis is-” Adam faltered. “ _Hours_ away.”

The look FG gave Adam was not dissimilar to the looks she gave to students who continually got on her nerves. “Keketa has been retired for at least a decade now, and von Drake is a glorified psychiatrist. _Not_ what we need right now. Probably later.” She glanced down at Ben and the others, taking stock of their injuries. “Most likely later.”

Ben was struggling to inhale. Fairy Godmother’s kind brown eyes appeared above him and she gently rolled him onto his side. Adam hovered anxiously behind them. Ben wheezed softly, looking around for his friends. “Mal...the others…”

FG sat him upright, saying soothingly, “They’re okay. They’re still unconscious, including Evie, but they’re right here. People are coming to help us. It’s going to be fine, Your Majesty. You just focus on breathing.” She glanced at the former king next to her. “They need medical attention, Adam. Doctor Sweet is one of the few individuals in the United Kingdoms qualified enough to evaluate these children. Besides, he owes me a favor or two. He’ll keep quiet whatever we ask. Merlin and I agreed on that before we left, and contacted him. The injuries that bleed are always obvious, but more often than not the injuries of the mind go unnoticed. We need someone who will be sensitive to such things. He’ll pick up on both and be cautious.”

Adam didn’t respond. Ben could imagine the pinched, worried look on his face. He stared down at his hands as he tried to inhale and exhale, the meaning of his purpling fingertips not fully registering.

FG was rubbing circles on Ben’s back. Adam watched his son’s lips begin to blue. He turned to Merlin, “How much longer?”

“Not long at all, Your Majesty,” Merlin’s voice was untroubled. Ben vaguely remembered the old wizard never seeming to give a damn about anything; not Auradon politics, not the kingdom’s state of affairs, not to mention that he would never even _touch_ the Magic User’s Campaigns (not that many people took them seriously: people protesting anti-magic laws, it was simply unheard of!) He only ever paid attention to Camelot and King Arthur. Ben had enough blood flowing to his brain to wonder what kind of a favor FG had promised the old wizard to get his help.

The soft forest floor beneath his palms might as well have been nonexistent; it was like his fingers and toes were falling asleep. His vision swam, swirling the leaves and making him nauseous. His eyes had just drifted shut when there was a clamoring of voices around him, then gloved hands were lifting him up, placing his body horizontally on something so soft it nearly hurt.

Ben groaned as he was stretched out, the wounds from the last few days coming back to him full force as someone placed an oxygen mask over his face. In a moment of startling clarity, his eyes flew open, taking in what was going on around him with a fluttering heart that felt far too weak.

Genderless, hazmat wearing figures had flooded the woods, lights attached to their suits illuminating the darkness. Ben caught sight of Carlos being lifted onto his own gurney, his body being pushed into an ambulance that Ben had not heard arrive.

Ben could feel his body being lifted, possibly into his own ambulance. Adam was asking questions, demanding to be kept with his son. The technicians really couldn’t deny him his request, even if they wanted to. The King Father would get what he wanted.

The doors of the ambulance slammed shut, making Ben flinch. The air smelled of antiseptic that burned his nose, far too clean. Cool traces licked across his body; he glanced down, his head feeling as if it weighed a ton, to find his clothes being cut off. The stainless steel scissors brushed his skin, cold kisses that made Ben shiver and drop his head, the bright light above him hurting his eyes.

On the ride to Auradon, Ben was dimly aware of hands poking and prodding at his body, taking stock of his injuries. He looked down at one point and cringed at the state of his torso. His drag across the wharf and the ship deck had left him with raw patches across his sides, and his back he presumed, places where his skin had completely rubbed off. The horrible sight of his blood-red sides stripped of all skin made Ben want to puke: he hadn’t even felt _that_ injury until he laid eyes on it. Splinters still taunted him, embedded in his back. He wanted to turn onto his side but strong hands on his shoulders held him down.

The oxygen mask wasn’t enough to keep him conscious.

 

======

 

Ben blinked awake in a room that more closely resembled a well-kept prison cell than a hospital room. He was laying on a bed with a mattress so thin it could only belong in a hospital, a toilet and sink on the adjoining wall, offering not even a semblance of privacy. A small table and a single chair were pushed to the left side of the room, a steel door with a small, single window looming ominously on the wall farthest away.

Ben sat up, feeling surprisingly...normal. No aches, no lightning flashes of pain. His right hand was contained in a heavy white cast but he couldn’t feel it. As he slung his legs over the side of the bed, he looked down, finding that someone had dressed him in a paper thin shirt and pajama pants, his bare feet flush against the cold floor.

Steeling his nerves, Ben slowly lifted his shirt. His torso has been wrapped in clean white gauze that wrapped completely around his middle. He dropped his shirt, perplexed. He felt fine, yet he couldn’t have been fully healed. Even in Auradon, there was no magical fix-all medication. Ignoring the inclination that he had been unconscious much longer than he’d thought, Ben concluded that whoever was in charge had to have given him some of the good drugs.

“Hello?” Ben called, slowly standing, afraid of the ever-present nausea from the past few days. Oddly, he felt normal as he straightened. Slightly worried by the lack of dizziness, Ben walked briskly to the door, pulse climbing. It was a stretch to see out the window, and his breath fogged against the cool glass. He could only see a small section of white hallway, the pale green trim and handrails along the walls telling him he was at Auradon Memorial Hospital. He had only been there once before, but he recognized it without a doubt.

He had only been at the window for a handful of seconds before the door was swinging open, nearly knocking him down. Ben stumbled back, startled. It was only a short woman dressed in scrubs holding a thick binder. She blinked owlishly at Ben from behind glasses, then hurriedly backed out of the room without a word.

Sighing, Ben returned to his bed, awaiting the nurse’s return.

It took only minutes before the door opened again, two nurses and a tall, dark-skinned man following the bespectacled woman Ben had seen first. The three nurses stood at attention, one holding a clipboard, a writing utensil awaiting use in her hand.

Ben did not rise from the bed when the man approached. “You must be Doctor Sweet.”

The man’s bow was small, merely a formality. His eyes bespoke exhaustion and Ben recognized the tight gesture as a graceful bit of manners only dealt out of respect to the King. “You got it.” He pointed to the foot of the bed, space unoccupied. “May I sit?”

Ben nodded, unsure. Already, the clipboard nurse was scribbling away. The one with the glasses watched as impassively as the third nurse. “I’m guessing I’m not going home for a while.”

Dr. Sweet’s smile was not unkind. It was pitying yet genuine. “Unfortunately, no. Though the tests we ran while you were unconscious came back inconclusive, you are being kept here for observation.”

Ben swallowed. “For how long?”

Sweet reached into the pocket of his knit cardigan and pulled out a stress ball that looked tiny in his hand. “Twenty-one days, at the least.”

Ben’s mouth went dry. He swallowed. Took a few shallow inhales through his nose. In. Hold. Out. In. Hold. Out. Only when he believed his voice was strong enough not to break did Ben speak. “That’s...a long time.” He did not have to ask why.

“You were on the Isle of the Lost for nearly four days, Ben.” Ben could tell Dr. Sweet was trying to be gentle. “Before that, you had only ever lived in Auradon. Your body has never been exposed to the bacteria of the Isle. No one from the mainland has. We have no idea how your immune system will handle that. We do not know the severity of illnesses, pollution, or generally _anything_ about what roams those streets. Not to mention the injuries you obtained during your time there. Bruising of the third and fourth ribs, bruising of the left mandible, a mild concussion, varying skin abrasions and epidermis/dermis nerve damage, eleven broken bones in your right hand. And,” Ben glanced up at him, heartbeat picking up. _What more could there be?_ “Let’s not forget the low blood sugar.”

Ben could have laughed. He cracked a small smile in relief. “Let’s not forget that.”

Doctor Sweet grinned. The exhaustion Ben had glimpsed before fell away as he said, “The days will be gone before you know it. Like I said, your tests came back inconclusive. That’s means, essentially, you’re okay for right now.  But,” he cautioned, though the light tone of voice did not fade, “That does not mean something nasty isn’t waiting just below the surface. If nothing happens within the time you are quarantined, then you’ll be all set to return to your old life.”

Ben nodded, feeling slightly better. He had never been given any reason to distrust medical professionals before and if FG was to be believed, he was in good hands. “Thank you for telling me. Can I-“ Ben’s voice shook slightly and he had to stop. When he tried again, it was smooth, nothing short of how it should be. “Where are my parents?”

The clipboard nurse did not once stop writing, even as Dr. Sweet replied, “You will be allowed to see them at the end of your quarantine. For now, you will be seeing me and this team.” He gestured behind himself to the nurses. “Anything we can do to make you more comfortable, just let us know. Leave the rest to us.”

Ben tried to digest the fact he would essentially be alone the next three weeks. His fingers tightened in the blanket but he said evenly, “What of Mal and the others? Are they going to be getting the same treatment?”

Dr. Sweet nodded, turning towards Ben more fully, pulling one leg up on the bed. His body language was open and Ben appreciated the gesture. “They should have been at least examined by a medical professional before they even stepped foot in Auradon, but I understand the process involving your proclamation was all very sudden. No time for a thorough check-up.” He raised a pointed eyebrow, and Ben felt cowed. He knew that several things regarding the VKs had been swept under the carpet before their arrival at the mainland. Things Ben should have been cautious about. Sweet didn’t have to say the word _rushed_.“I think we are all lucky that they were not carrying any potential pathogens and that no one got sick. Which, I think, says a lot about how your recovery will go. There is no reason to worry at the moment, but it’s better safe than sorry. I will be attending to your friends as well. Their stay may be a little longer than yours.”

Frowning, Ben asked, “Why is that? We were on the Isle for the same amount of time.”

“This trip you were, yes..” Dr. Sweet’s voice was placating and Ben wondered if he’d already had to deliver this speech to the VKs. “Before that, the Isle was their home. They never were fully checked out before they arrived in Auradon and we want to be certain now that they are healthy. They lived their entire lives on the Isle: who knows what all is in their blood. From x-rays and several blood tests we’ve already found evidence of past child abuse, wounds that never healed properly, and other things I won’t be getting into.”

A lump formed in the back of Ben’s throat and it was suddenly hard to speak. Sweet must have noticed because he placed a gentle hand on Ben’s arm and said softly, “None of these are things to be worried about, Ben. Auradon Memorial Hospital is one of the leading facilities in the United Kingdoms when it comes to healing and regeneration. Medicine is far past what it used to be. They will be okay.”

Ben nodded, clenching his jaw. Tears burned at the back of his eyes but he refused to cry. He had been through hell and back the last few days but he wasn’t about to break down in front of a group of strangers. He said evenly, “Not to be rude, Doctor Sweet, but did you need something from me right now? I’m quite exhausted.” He wasn’t, but he wanted time alone to think. He needed to digest the information that had just been handed him. And it sounded like he would have plenty of time to do so.

Dr Sweet looked Ben over with a gaze that was wiser than the man looked. He patted Ben’s arm one final time before he sighed, “No, I think we are finished for tonight. You get some sleep.” He stood and his team of nurses shuffled towards the door, the clipboard nurse finally pocketing her pen. Before they reached the hall, Sweet tossed the ball to Ben. It bounced across the space between them once, then Ben caught it with his free hand. “Anything I can get you? It’s going to be a long three weeks.”

Ben considered it for a moment. “Just a notebook, please. And a pen.”

 

=========

 

It was indeed a long three weeks.

Ben spent his days pacing his room, his pen twirling between his fingers. He scribbled notes in his notebook, writing down any idea that struck him. Three times a day, the bespectacled nurse (whose name he found out was Angie) brought him a tray of food. The portions were small but Ben did not mind. The first few days he received his trays, his stomach turned as he remembered the desperate, hungry gazes of the few children he’d seen on the Isle. The way that Anthony Tremaine’s cheekbones had been cut from marble on his face, how birdlike Dizzy had seemed. Each mouthful of food tasted like ash on his tongue.

Each day, Ben would ask whichever nurse was assigned to him what was new. He’d jokingly complained that he would be stuck in his room _forever_ and needed daily affirmation that nothing crazy was going on in the outside world. Sometimes they’d answer, sometimes they wouldn’t. He found out Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie were all in the same hallway as him. He found out that his blood work came back clear. He found out that his parents were selling the story that he and the other VKs had fallen gravely ill with a foodborne illness. He did not find out what was wrong with his friends. He did not find out whether or not they would have to stay longer than three weeks.

Ben was not sure how he felt about Dr. Sweet. The man was definitely good at his profession (sometimes Ben found himself giving answers to questions he had not been meaning to answer) and Ben found solace in his blunt determination. He had an appreciation for adults that did not treat him like an imbecile. All too often as King he ran into people who believed he couldn’t do a good job because of his age. But on other topics, Sweet was not as helpful. He kept information about the VKs from Ben, which Ben found irritating. He knew he would find out eventually, whether from his friends or from an adult trying to break the news gently. Other than Sweet’s ridiculously tight lips, the man was a relief to be around. During Ben’s quarantine, he had plenty of time to think, and he found himself wondering. Sweet, the only person Ben saw with any kind of in-depth knowledge about the United Kingdoms, did not treat Ben’s questions about the Isle like a burden, nor did he act like Ben was crazy when Ben asked his thoughts about bringing more children over. He was not repulsed by Ben’s continuous questions about magic, either.

Use of magic in Auradon was not commonplace, for many reasons. The generation of Ben’s parents and grandparents could only see magic as an abominable, hateful art that brought nothing but destruction to the lives of those who practiced it. It made Ben uncomfortable too. He wasn’t sure if that was from lack of understanding or simply an ingrained principle. While sinister and uncontainable, it did pose its merits, and certain people (such as the Fairy Godmother, Queen Elsa, and Merlin) were allowed to keep their abilities. Members of the Magic User’s Campaign claimed it was their birthright to wield the powers they had been born with. That to suppress the abilities that ran through their blood was abhorrent. Most people, when faced with news about MUC activity, only thought of the times not too long ago when villains used magic primarily for evil, and then took their daily suppressants while closing their blinds to the MUC. Ben had never had to take such medication, but he knew several of his friends had to. Jane, primarily. He knew that Mal had been threatened with as much unless she learned to control her powers. Such thoughts swirled in Ben’s mind, a quiet cloud that was quickly becoming a storm.

Ben was laying on his bed with his cast-heavy right hand resting on his stomach when the door opened. Expecting Angie, Ben called breezily, “What’s new out there?”

The smell of vanilla and old books hit his nose and Ben shot upright. Standing in the doorway, not twenty feet away, were Belle and Adam.

Belle’s brown eyes were wide as she took several small steps into the room. Ben threw his legs over the side of the bed and ran to her, closing the distance in a few bounds. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mother, breathing in the familiar scent of her. Her arms came up around him and he thought he heard her crying. Adam enveloped them both in his long arms, whispering, “Thank God, thank God.”

With his parents wrapped around him, Ben felt the familiar burn of tears at his eyes. He swallowed, trying to hold them back, but one look at his mother’s streaked face had him releasing a long-held sob. Adam disconnected from their triad to shut the door as Belle walked Ben over to the bed, Ben keeping a tight grip on her hand.

Belle sat him down, her arms around him again. Ben buried his face in her shoulder like he’d done when he was little. Belle stroked his hair, whispering, “It’s alright. It’s alright, dear.”

The bed dipped as Adam sat on his other side, his large hand rubbing circles on Ben’s back. “Have they been treating you right?”

Ben let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Sweet’s team has been good.”

“We’ve been so worried,” Belle said, her grip on Ben tightening. “You shouldn’t have left without telling us.”

“There was no time,” Ben whispered, not wanting to argue.

“Still,” Belle said, a smile in her voice. “A note would have been nice. We are so, so lucky you’re alright.”

Adam’s hand was still rubbing up and down Ben’s back as Adam said, “When we realized you had gone...God. When the school called asking where you were, Lumiere was ready to call the Royal Guard! He was convinced you’d been kidnapped.” Adam chuckled. “I never would have thought you were on the Isle of the Lost. It wasn’t until Fairy Godmother called me, saying that sentries along the coast had seen a distress signal coming from the Isle that anyone realized where you were.”

“I never knew that was even a thing,” Ben murmured. He just wanted to be held. He had never been so relieved to see his parents in all his life.

Belle hummed, “Not many do. I believe those signals were only designed in case of a serious emergency, but no one from the Isle could have known about them. We knew it had to be you.”

“It was Evie. I said I didn’t know about it.”

“Bright girl,” Belle allowed, ignoring the edge to Ben’s voice.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, long enough for the tears on Ben’s face to dry. His mother was still carding her fingers through his hair, his father still rubbing his hand on Ben’s shoulder. As they absorbed each other’s presence, the minutes ticked by, long enough for annoyance to creep into Ben’s bloodstream.

He asked quietly, “How could you...how could you have _done that?_ ”

Adam’s hand stopped. “Done what, love?”

Ben sat upright, ignoring his mother’s questioning gaze. He wiped his face, aggravation inching into his voice. “How could you have left those children on the Isle? How did anyone _ever_ think sentencing the villains there was a good idea?”

Adam looked confused. His mouth opened and closed, at a loss. Belle said placatingly, “It was the only choice we had, dear, you know that. There was no other way to bring peace to the land. We couldn’t abide killing them, so we all agreed-“

“To sentence them to a life as prisoners!” Ben exploded. He threw himself off of the bed and glared at his parents, the dam of emotions that had been building the last three weeks finally breaking. “And their _children_! Maybe the villains deserve their lives on the Isle but not their children! Do you know what I saw? Do you know what I was threatened with? Kids my own age and younger-” His voice broke. His parents were watching him, Adam’s mouth a thin line. Belle’s face had gone stony, her expression unreadable. “I’m sure you both sleep comfortably at night believing that the villains love their children but they don’t. The Isle is rife with violence and assault and starvation and _you both just let it go on like that for years!”_

Adam swallowed and Ben recognized that he was trying to stay calm. It was a face that Ben saw all the time growing up. The clenched jaw. The tightening eyebrows. Ben was towing the line. “The villains are there because they deserve it. What they did to the innocent people of this land is unforgivable. And perhaps their children were not there to commit such heinous deeds but they were raised by those treacherous leeches. They’ve only been shown one way of life, how could they ever-“

“Mal chose good. So did Jay, so did Carlos, so did Evie.” Ben leveled angrily. “In face of Maleficent, they _all_ turned their backs on their upbringing. _They chose good_. And I met more people on the Isle who are willing to lead a better life. I probably would have died hours after stepping foot on the Isle if not for kids who were willing to help me. They forgot the fact that I’m the one who continues to make them live in such a place and they saved my ass from people who meant to hurt me!”

Belle did not blink an eye at Ben’s outburst. Her voice was calmer than Adam’s and Ben’s combined as she said evenly, “It may be hard for you to understand, Ben. It was years before you were even a thought in our minds. The villains were sentenced to the Isle because they wrecked havoc upon this land. They burned towns, destroyed fields, murdered and raped more innocents than any census could ever account for, used their _powers,_ ” The word was spat like a disease. “To curse and spread dark magic across _our_ country. We could not let that happen. Not when we were responsible for those people’s well-being.”

Ben swallowed and tried to keep his voice level. “Whatever your reasons, you still condemned an entire generation to a lifetime of the exact same deeds that you were escaping from. You read my medical reports I assume? Or Dr Sweet at least told you.” He brandished his cast. When Adam and Belle did nothing but glare disapprovingly at him, most likely wondering what his point was, he said stiffly, “Yeah. I got off easy. Have you seen Carlos? Or Jay?”

At that, Adam gaze turned uncomfortable. Belle’s voice was unshaken as she said quietly, “We’ve seen them.”

“The de Vil boy was not in great shape,” Adam admitted carefully.

“His name is _Carlos_. And those injuries were _not_ caused by magic. They were caused by angry teenagers who wanted to be free from lives they didn’t ask for.” Ben spat, not even concerned about being delicate. “They don’t give a damn about how they get off of the Isle, that’s how desperate they are. And _of course_ they’re not going sit down and be diplomatic. They don’t know how!”

“What exactly are you saying?” Adam asked, an edge creeping into his voice.

“I’m saying that I’m not going to sit idly by any longer. I couldn’t live with myself if I were to just go back to my everyday life. It’s wrong. There are people that _I_ am responsible for who are suffering. Maybe you were both comfortable with letting that slide by, but I’m not. I can’t, now that I know. Now that I’ve seen it firsthand. And I’m going to help them.”

Adam and Belle shared a look. They had never kept things from him even when he was a boy, always opted for treating every situation level-headedly and calmly. They did not keep secrets from their son, and Ben could normally discern any look on their face. But the look they turned on him now was something he had not seen before. It was the look of a unified force that was intent not to be trifled with.

Adam tried, “Ben, human nature versus human nurture is always tricky. It’s something we still don’t understand today. It’s not a guaranteed coin toss. But one thing that _is_ guaranteed is the fact that more than half of the villains on the Isle possess magical powers of some sort; powers that most definitely could have been passed to their children. We already know that Mal inherited her mother’s affinity for transformation, not to mention that Evie concealed the fact she had and could use her mother’s magic mirror. That’s two out of four. We cannot risk the chance of any new children bringing untamed magic to Auradon or any of the Kingdoms. They are not going to trust us. They are not going to be grateful. They’ve been prisoners their entire lives. We got lucky with that first batch you brought over. It’s by God’s grace alone that Maleficent did not kill all of us when she had the chance. Your intentions are pure but you have no way to be sure that the children you bring over won’t-“

“Dad, magic might have once been used to do terrible things but we can show these kids another way! Once they see that they don’t have to live their lives fighting over garbage or turf or _basic needs_ , then - _then_ they’ll see that they can be good!” Ben’s chest heaved and he felt like crying again for a totally different reason than having missed his parents. Freddie Facilier’s and Anthony Tremaine’s stubborn resolve to protect Dizzy pounded against his skull like a migraine. Diego de Vil’s insistence on helping free Ben - _twice_ \- twisted a knife made of guilt into Ben’s gut and refused to let him go. Even Gil’s quiet protest on Ben’s behalf formed a lump in his throat. All of them strangers, all of them willing to help him. All of them condemned to be pushed around and abused by relatives or bullies that they didn’t ask for or deserve.

“If It were me,” Ben whispered, _wishing_ they could understand. “If it were _me_ out there, struggling to survive, cursed to never die, wouldn’t you want to help me?”

“Ben,” Adam growled, finally sounding angry. It seemed he’d had enough. Ben was almost pleased to have gotten a reaction. Belle was silent. “You were not born when the United Kingdoms made the _unanimous_ decision that led to the Isle of the Lost being created. You don’t know what state of tragedy the Kingdoms were in. You have never once been faced with magic at its darkest. It is cruel and can be used for any means. You cannot guarantee the children you wish to free will not have their own vendettas against us. Imagine the carnage they could bring upon our people. Magic and its wielders are just too unreliable. They cannot be trusted-”

“I think you are confusing magic with yourself,” Ben glared, ignoring the shocked look his mother gave him. “You and your cruelty and your arrogance. You are the one who humiliated an old woman who was in need for the sheer reason that you were bored and wanted to appear clever to a group of your peers. And when she defended herself, you couldn’t handle that slight on your honor, even after Mother broke your curse. When you ordered the witch that cursed you to be executed, _that_ is what led to such widespread use of dark magic. That one deed led to years of retaliation on her behalf. It re-ignited the spark of hate in villains’ hearts across the country. And that is what led to creating the Isle. And even after all of this, you still remain the Beast. Your heart is still full of hate. Nothing changed except your looks.”

Then Ben turned on his heel, ignored the enraged yell of his father and his mother’s sharp demand that he return. He walked away from the room with determined strides, fists clenched as he walked down the hallway to find Dr. Sweet.

He had a lot of work to do.

 

=====

 

“And you’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely positive?”

“Y _es_ , Ben.”

“I don’t want to do this without your permission. Without _anyone’s_ permission. Everyone has to be one hundred and one percent on board or I’m not doing this.”

“Ben, if we expected any less of you, you wouldn’t be who we thought you are.” Evie’s smile was broad. She had not stopped grinning since all four of the VKs had been released from quarantine. True to what Dr. Sweet had told him, Carlos, Jay, and Mal had had to stay a week longer than Evie and Ben. Ben didn’t ask and didn’t want to. He knew they would tell him when they were ready. Evie patted Ben’s arm. “We’ve been talking about this for days; it has to happen like this.”

Ben tapped his chin thoughtfully and took a sip of his tea. It was room temperature but he didn’t mind. The fine china made Ben want to throw it on the ground, if only to see it broken. He could only see it as a ridiculous, pointless display of wealth. He and the VKs were at Auradon Prep, in one of the private meeting rooms. School may have been out for spring break but Ben wanted to utilize a quiet environment. Evie sat next to him, Jay and Carlos across the table, and Mal at the forefront. Scattered across the mahogany wood were pens and pencils, a few history textbooks, discarded wrappers, and dozens of papers containing lines of script that Ben was going to spend hours rehearsing.

Empty takeout containers were stacked on the floor, and Carlos was attempting to balance a single chopstick horizontally across the bridge of his nose. “If you want people to listen to you, use the truth. It’s so outrageously different than what they’re used to that they’ll assume you’re lying.”

“And everyone loves a good lie,” Mal grinned. She was painting her nails a dark green and once she was finished with her left hand she held it up for Evie to inspect.

Evie pursed her lips and said, “Hopefully, they’ll believe you. We really can’t make this stuff up.” She blew gently on Mal’s nails, the other girl beaming at her.

Jay had cracked open a fortune cookie and was chewing on the soft golden pastry. Around a mouthful of food, he added, “Maybe it’ll scare some sense into ‘em.”

Ben put down his cup. “And you’re _all_ sure that you’re okay with-“

“Ben, dude, if there’s anyone with the power and the influence to help us out, it’s you. You’re Auradon by birth, you’re the _King_ , and not to mention, you could totally ace Remedial Goodness Classes.” Carlos supplied, the chopstick falling off his nose. He hastily bent to retrieve it.

Ben cracked a smile. “I never had to take those.”

Carlos pointed at him with the retrieved chopstick. “But you would ace them.”

“He means you’ve got the patience and the vocabulary to go toe to toe with those pompous royals that’ll be the ones who actually decide anything. All you've got to do is give a badass, totally moving speech, win over some assholes, and once everyone votes, we're all set,” Mal grinned. “Though I have to ask, how come you didn’t have to do any of this idea proposal shit when we were brought over?”

“Because,” Ben said, embarrassed fractionally. “I announced my decree to have you guys brought to Auradon literally the morning of. That all happened in one day.”

Evie released Mal’s hand to turn and stare at Ben with wide eyes. “Seriously? Is that why everyone acted so weird when we pulled up in the limo?”

Ben chuckled as he thought back to that bright morning. “Yeah. Poor Doug, he didn’t have hardly enough time to wrangle together a decent group of band kids.” He scratched his chin with his left hand. “I kinda figured my parents wouldn’t agree with my plans if they knew in advance, so I gave some really specific instructions to a few of my guards, then broke the news to my parents as gently as I could.”

Jay laughed. “No way! That’s sneaky. Seems like you had some bad in you even before we showed up.”

Ben grinned at the former thief. “Guess so.”

“This is going to be amazing!” Evie cried happily as she clapped her hands. “Can you imagine Dizzy’s face? She’ll be so excited. Oh, all of the classes she can take, all of the food: Evil! I have to show her ice cream! Mal!” Mal jumped, eyes wide. The nail polish applicator hovered shakily above her right index finger. “Think of how much she’ll love ice cream. I can totally see us brainstorming designs over a gallon of triple chocolate chip-”

“She’s going to love it here, E,” Mal chuckled. She chewed her lower lip, focused on her task. “Personally, I’d love to hear what Anthony has to say about Auradon Prep.”

Carlos snorted. “He could find a flaw in a Michelangelo painting.”

Jay cleared his throat. “‘What the _fuck_ kind of carpet is that?’”

The VKs broke into laughter and Ben smiled as he watched them. He was looking forward to having Dizzy and those who had helped them brought to Auradon, but they were far from achieving that. For the first time in his life, Ben’s parents had not agreed with or even acted like they supported one of his ideas. Immediately after Ben had left his hospital room, both Adam and Belle had called Fairy Godmother. The three had united against Ben and had Lumiere sit down with him to explain that he had to get the approval of all thirteen of the Kingdoms before he could make such a drastic proclamation. Because Ben would not just be bringing over four new villains’ kids, he would be bringing over all of the children of the Isle. Anyone under the age of twenty was to be brought to Auradon, to be offered a new life. Lumiere claimed that any new queen or king got one free proclamation that did not need approval, but any after would need the backing of the country (which was bullshit, Ben had even looked it up). He was almost offended they thought he would buy such a ludicrous story.

But ludicrous or not, Ben was not going to waste his chance.

 

========

 

The day came faster than Ben wanted.

He was prepared, but he was still nervous to be talking in front of so many people. Rulers from all over the Kingdoms had gathered to hear what he had to say, and though Ben had met them all before, he still wanted to throw up.

Ben stood in front of the tallest mirror in his room, checking his attire. Anyone he met today would be quick to find a flaw. The material of his navy blue morning coat was unblemished and smooth, the waistcoat he wore underneath the color of Auradon’s trademark gold. The added white collared shirt and golden tie beneath that had Ben feeling like he was being slowly suffocated. He didn’t know if it was possible to sweat through three layers of clothing but he thought he might do just that. He checked one last time that each solid gold button was properly fastened, double checked there were no visible creases in his dark grey trousers and made certain that there was not a smudge of dirt on his glossy black shoes. The only thing out of place was the bulky cast on his right hand.

It was a very important meeting, perhaps the most important of Ben’s life, and he could not afford to fuck it up. Everything had to be flawless.

Satisfied his dress attire was as good as it was going to get, Ben examined his own face. The minuscule cut he’d received on his cheekbone from an arrant thorn had turned into a thin silver scar, the only thing left of his time on the Isle beside his healing hand. The bruised jaw Jafar had been so kind to deliver him had healed as well, no twinging aches to even remind Ben of his stupidity. His cast was to be off within the week, but not before the day was over, so Ben would have to bear it.

Shakily, Ben sat down on the edge of his bed. His fingers trembled minutely but he couldn’t do anything about it. Normally, his mother would have helped him run through his speech one last time, but Ben had not spoken a word to her since the day he’d stormed from his hospital room. Since school was still in, Ben at least had that excuse for not seeing his parents, but the weekend brunches that he had purposefully canceled were blatant. He did not wish to see his mother or his father, not when he knew they did not support him. Neither Adam nor Belle had attempted to call or even visit him, so he knew the feeling was mutual.

Sitting alone in his room, Ben’s heart twinged slightly with regret but he ignored it.

There was a knock at his door.

Exhaling sharply, Ben stood and crossed the room to let Lumiere in. It was time. He was about to-

The door opened on its own accord and Mal’s purple head ducked around the frame. “Hey.”

Ben stopped. “Hey.”

Mal stepped inside Ben’s room and her eyes widened. He was almost embarrassed. Despite being his personal dorm at Auradon Prep, the room was designed to impress. The walls were built of sturdy white stone, glossy pearlescent pillars supporting vaulted ceilings trimmed with elaborate carvings of vines and flowering ivy. The ceilings themselves displayed a beautiful a gold-painted map of the United Kingdoms: the capital of Auradon City and Belle’s Harbor. Auroria and South Riding along the southern coast. The Golden Citadel and Hook’s Bay to the East. The Summerlands and the Enchanted Forest to the far North. Two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows draped in the blue and gold of Auradon admitted early morning light. The wall with the door was lined with shelves, crammed with novels and tomes, a small alcove with a cushioned bench at its apex.

“Holy shit, I should ask for an upgrade,” Mal whistled, taking it all in.

Ben snorted out a laugh, resisting the urge to tug his hand through his hair. “It’s a bit much.”

Mal turned to him, hands on her hips. “A bit.”

Ben dropped down onto the bed, rubbing at his face. “Am I doing the right thing?” Everything his father had warned him about whispered in the back of Ben’s ear, a constant sense of wariness. He hoped he wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

A scent that was entirely _Mal_ drifted to Ben’s nose as she sat next to him, familiar and calming. “Of course you are. Of course. I know that...I know that I’m not good at the comforting thing, but. Trust me. You’re doing the right thing. If this goes to plan, and you manage to get those privileged assholes to see the truth, you’ll be saving dozens of innocent kids from horrible lives.” She grabbed Ben’s hand and he looked up at her. Her green eyes were earnest as she said, “If the royal dicks of this country can’t see that, then they’re just as bad as my mom.” She squeezed Ben’s hand. “I wanted to thank you. Even if they vote not to-”

“Mal,” Ben tried, but the girl stopped him.

“No. Even if they vote no, you at least tried. That’s more than can be said for any of them. Or for your parents. Don’t forget that.” She smiled sadly, dimples flashing. “If all else fails, I’ll just start smuggling kids back on my own.”

Despite knowing that would never work, Ben tried to look confident, though he was afraid he came off nervous. “Thank you, Mal. I hope I don’t let you down.”

Mal chuckled. “I thought I’d hate it here,” she admitted. “I honestly wouldn’t have come unless my mother made me. I had it _made_ back on the Isle, so I thought. People cowering before me everywhere I went. Henchmen to get the heavy work done. My family all in one place. But if I’d never come here, I never would have met you. I would never have been taught that I didn’t have to live every day fighting for my life. I would never have been told that I _shouldn’t_ have to live like that.” Her grip on Ben’s hand was grounding. “And the kids who are still there, they need someone to fight for them. They need someone who can bring them somewhere they will be safe. They don’t have anyone to stick up for them. You have to be that person.”

Ben nodded. “I know.”

“It’ll be hard, but the others and I will back you up. You have friends here who will too. Those kids will need so much help when they arrive, and I know that we can get it for them. Some simply need a push in the right direction, like with us, but others will need more of a shove. It’ll be hard. But we’ll make it work. Just remember, when you made your first proclamation, you didn’t just save me. You saved Evie, Jay, and Carlos, and Evil, there were some days on the Isle that I really thought I would lose them. Shit, at least once a week. See, none of us knew about that spell FG cast, though I figured something had been done. This one time, Carlos had been trying to rake leaves off of the roof of Hell Hall. It was icy out and he slipped. Now, that’s a pretty long fall. Luckily, Evie had been walking in her garden that day so she saw it happen. She knew that Cruella wouldn’t do anything for him, so she brought Carlos to the Bargain Castle.

“There was absolutely no helping him,” Mal said, somber gaze focused on the floor. “He’d broken his collarbone and it was sticking through the back of his shoulder. Half of...half of his skull had been broken and I could _feel_ the cracks under his scalp. It was awful. Evie, Jay and I really thought we were going to lose him. But he pulled through. And somehow, he wasn’t totally fucked up afterward. That’s when we all guessed that there was something going on that was keeping us from dying.” She swallowed and met Ben’s eyes again. “Every day, we faced death. Our parents could do anything to us and we would never know peace. And trust me, our parents tried their best to kill us. When they grew bored, it was time to run for the hills. I never really cared what Maleficent did to me, but seeing my real family hurt…” Mal’s voice trailed off as her jaw clenched. “You saved them. Not just from an eternity of scrounging for food and basic necessities, but from an eternity of suffering our parents’ boredom. And I can never thank you enough for that.”

Throat suddenly tight, Ben said, “Mal, I-”

There was another knock on the door.

“Sire, they’re ready for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continually provided feedback and support, you have no idea how much that motivated me to stick with this. This is actually the first writing piece that I have ever finished (most of my works sit uncompleted and unread on some dusty USB in my room, pre-Google drive) so it feels great to have finally completed something. I apologize for the long wait, I've had several personal things going on. Anyway, I hope no one feels let down with this ending. The follow-up is now posted, which I believe can be accessed through the series link or through my account. I have a standalone multi-chapter fic that I am currently working on, one that involves an even more in-depth look at the lives of the children on the Isle. 
> 
> Also cred needs to be given to [majalissa](https://majalissa.tumblr.com/) on tumblr, for inspiring some of Ben and Adam’s argument. Their comment on [this post](https://majalissa.tumblr.com/post/170968667803/give-me-dark-descendants) really hit home with me and they were gracious enough to let me use it, so go check it out!
> 
> You can always find me [here](http://alloftheseships.tumblr.com/) on tumblr


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